It's Always Blind
by Heartless Squirrel
Summary: An animal-rights court battle threatens to tear the Seville family apart. With the risk of losing everything, the Chipmunks are forced to rely on each other to survive.
1. Setting Precedent

_**Well, this is the start of my first Fanfic ever. This is new territory for me, but hopefully you'll enjoy it. With luck, maybe I can help give a small boost to a dwindling community of writers. If you like it, please leave a review - I'd love to know if people are reading.**_

_**Tagged 'Romance' because of stuff that'll come up later. It'll likely be pretty tasteful though, knowing me, so don't worry too much about it if that puts you off.**_

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><p>Alvin groaned and threw his homework from his bed. "This is pointless!" He cried out more to himself than his youngest sibling beside him.<p>

Theodore hopped off the bed and gathered up the discarded papers. "Yeah, well, if Dave is mad at you, a little homework won't make a difference," he said sincerely, but Alvin interpreted it otherwise.

Alvin groaned again and snatched back the papers, setting them down messily in front of him. They'd barely walked in the door after school when Dave called Simon away to have a private talk. That alone was unusual, but sending Alvin and Theodore to their room just raised questions. The answer was probably that Alvin was in trouble, yet again, but he wasn't sure what it could be for. As far as he knew, he'd been well behaved lately…or at least, as far as Dave would know.

Alvin scrawled down an answer the next question and immediately rubbed it away. Alvin figured that whatever he did, if he managed to get all his homework done early he might get off easy, but this was stuff he usually got Simon's help with. He was trying, but it was all just gibberish now.

The paper tore under the weight of Alvin's pencil. He looked down at it angrily for a moment, then swatted it into the air. "Ok, I give up!" he declared. Theodore hid a chuckle at his brother's frustration.

At that moment, a knock came from the bedroom door. After a brief pause, it opened and Simon stepped inside. "Dave would like to speak with you down in the den," he informed them bluntly and gestured back the way he came. Alvin looked to Theodore with worry and jumped off his bed. Simon looked towards Theodore, "with both of you."

That was different. Surely Alvin didn't do something THAT bad…unless this is something Theodore's responsible for. Alvin looked at Theodore, but only got a look of confusion in return. "Ok, Simon, what's this about?"

"I think Dave would rather tell you himself." The concern in Simon's tone didn't fill them with confidence.

Stepping past Simon, Alvin walked with his youngest sibling across the hall and down the stairs towards the den. In his mind he tried to figure out what he'd done, but couldn't think of anything he hasn't already been punished for. Then again, it's easy to lose track.

They turned into the den and faced their surrogate father. "Hi, guys," Dave greeted them with a sigh. "Take a seat, there's something I need to talk to you about."

The two complied and climbed onto the couch. Before Dave could start speaking, Alvin piped up. "Dave, whatever I did, I'm sorry! I've learned my lesson, I swear!"

"Sit down, Alvin," Dave responded. "This isn't about anything you've done."

Alvin and Theodore glanced at each other, suddenly concerned.

"I don't usually like to bring these things up around you guys, but this is something that could affect all of us and Simon thought you'd want to know what's going on.

"There's this crazy animal rights group that's been trying to say that letting you guys perform is 'animal cruelty' and they're trying to get me into a lot of trouble."

"Ha!" Alvin laughed in interruption. "Good luck with that one! They'll never get anywhere with an argument like **that**! You're worrying over nothing, Dave," Alvin started to get up from his seat when Dave talked him down.

"Well, actually, they might be on to something." Alvin looked on with disbelief and fell back onto the couch. "Not that I agree with them, but I just got a call from my lawyer, and he tells me that they've found a judge that's willing to hear the case."

"Does that mean you're in trouble?" Theodore questioned.

"Well, no…I think we'll be fine. He's got us covered if this goes to court, but we won't know what's happening for at least a few days." A serious look appeared on Dave's face. "But if somehow things do go wrong, I might have to go away for a while."

"Woah, woah, woah…" Alvin waved his hands around infront of him, "hold on a second. You're saying you might go to jail?" Theodore's jaw dropped.

"Only for a little while if things don't work out, but my lawyer's very good at this sort of thing, I'm sure things will work out."

Simon leant against the doorway and called in to his brothers. He couldn't see them over the back of the couch, but he'd already had this conversation; he knew what was going through their heads. "It actually gets worse than that."

Dave nodded sadly. "I'm afraid Simon's right."

"How can it get worse than that?" Alvin questioned.

Dave opened his mouth to respond, but Simon took over for him. "Think about it: these aren't child labour laws that we're talking about, it's 'animal cruelty'," Simon quoted with his fingers.

Noticing the confusion on his boys' faces, Dave elaborated. "I know that you're my boys, anyone can see that, but it's a kind of legal grey area. The law really hasn't said whether we're a family or not." He sighed. "What Simon's worried about is that with these kinds of charges, it might set a new precedent."

Instinctively, Theodore looked over to Simon to explain. Simon looked away and let his eyes wonder aimlessly. "What it means is that, if Dave's found guilty, in the eyes of the law we'll just be his pets, and not his boys."

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><p>The conversation went on for some time longer. Dave made an effort to put his boys' fears to rest, but his own concern betrayed his attempts. Simon had heard it all before and knew the stakes, so he did his best to clarify when necessary, but just knowing the situation didn't help to ease the tension.<p>

Finally calling an end to the unpleasantness, Dave decided it would be best to just call it a night and deal with it when the time comes. After all, nothing had happened yet; there was no reason to worry about nothing.

While Dave prepared a late dinner, Alvin, Simon and Theodore retired to their room.

Simon sat on his bed, effortlessly working through his homework while Alvin repeatedly bounced a ball against the opposite wall to procrastinate. "Hey!" Alvin had a sudden epiphany as he caught the ball. "If we have to go to court, that means we miss out on school, right?"

"Yes, and your point is…?" Simon questioned. Although the topic hadn't left their minds, it was easier for them to look at it casually when they weren't sat down and confronted with it. It wasn't a comfortable topic, but the seriousness left the situation as soon as they settled on their beds. "You still have to do your homework, Alvin. You'll never learn anything if you don't study."

"Hmm," Alvin mocked thoughtfulness. "I think **one** bookworm in the family is more than enough. Besides…" he grinned, "I can't help it if I'm too traumatized to study."

Simon just rolled his eyes in response.

After a brief moment of silence, Simon turned and looked at his younger brother. Theodore sat on the edge of his bed, staring at his shoes - his usual brightness downed out in thought. "You're awfully quiet, Theo."

"I'm just worried about Dave," he responded sadly, not losing focus. "What if they take him away?" Simon closed his book and smiled while walking across the room to join his sibling.

"I wouldn't worry about that," Simon comforted, "one look at us and I'm sure that judge will know what to do."

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><p>"He's got us locked up like animals!" The recorded voice of Alvin screamed at the courtroom. "He won't let us eat! He won't let us sleep! He just makes us work all day long and he won't let us stop! Oh no…he's coming!"<p>

Alvin groaned as the recorded call clicked to an end. Simon rubbed at his temples to calm the sudden headache. _This is not going well…_

The Seville family lawyer stood in objection. "Your honour, that call is completely out of context. My client grounded his children after returning home to find the lower floor of his house flooded. He was simply having them do chores to repair the damage."

The judge turned to the prosecutor – a slimy looking man in an expensive white suit. "Depriving them of basic rights and forcing them into labour is an act of abuse. We have numerous other calls that echo this evidence **without** this shallow pretext. Your honour, abuse is abuse regardless of what you call it," he countered. The judge looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded his head and called for the prosecutor to continue.

Alvin groaned again, this time a little too loud. The echo in the court drew the judgemental eyes of everyone in the room. Tired of being put on display, he decided he'd had enough of this scene. He'd sat there this whole time being the 'good child', just like he'd been told, but what good was it doing? Their lawyer said seeing them there as a family would help, but so far all it did was let the slimy man in white point to him and make it sound like this was all his fault. The whole thing was making him sick to his stomach.

Without saying a word, Alvin dropped off the seat and started walking out of the courtroom; all eyes on him for his apparent walk of shame.

Dave leant back so he could whisper to the others. "You guys should go with him and make sure he doesn't get into trouble." They nodded in agreement and silently followed their older brother from the room.

By the time his brothers caught up with him, Alvin was wandering down the hallway, tugging at the collar of his formal vest. They'd thrown on an extra layer over their standard clothes to look 'nice' for the judge – a lot of good that did!

"Alvin, just what do you think you're doing?" Simon questioned once they were close enough to be heard over the passing chatter. "Dave needs all the help he can get, and you walking out isn't exactly doing him any favours."

Alvin sighed. "I know, I know! But you heard that guy in there; he's blaming me for everything! I can't just sit there and take it…I need relief!"

Simon raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Couldn't even behave for a few hours, could you?"

"Actually…" Theodore interjected, "I'm getting kind of hungry." He rubbed his belly for emphasis.

Simon sighed. He stopped to think for a moment then reached into his pocket to produce a handful of coins. It wasn't a lot, but it was just common sense to bring some change along when you knew you'd be out all day. He counted it up as he spoke, "well, I guess now that we've walked out there's not much harm in getting something to eat. It might help to get your mind off things." Satisfied with the total, he returned the change to his pocket. "If I recall correctly, we passed an ice-cream shop on our way here. How's that sound?"

Theodore perked up immediately.

"Then it's a plan. It shouldn't be too hard to find."

"Of course not!" Alvin chimed in with a smug grin on his face. "Well, not with me leading the way, I mean."

"I suppose you know exactly where it is?" Simon knew where this was going, but by now had learned that there was no point in fighting it.

"You know it!" Feigned pride filled the chipmunk's demeanour. "In fact, I know a shortcut. I can have us there in no time. Trust me!"

* * *

><p>"Two hours!" Simon complained as the trio returned to the halls on their way to the courtroom. "Your little shortcut took us two hours! How, may I ask, does that count as being 'short'?"<p>

"Well it got us there, didn't it?" Alvin responded. The little detour had taken them far longer than it had to and ended up costing them almost all of Simon's little budget, but it gave them a welcome distraction from the trial.

"In any case, we're running late. Dave's probably worried sick about us." Simon realised it probably worked the other way around just as much, but for some reason felt compelled to be there for his surrogate father in this time of need. He figured there was nothing he could do, but he still didn't like being away in case he was wrong.

Theodore chomped down on the last of his ice-cream cone and caught up to his brothers, who walked slightly ahead of him. "How do you think Dave's doing?" He questioned with a hint of concern.

Simon put his arm around his little brother. "I don't know, but I guess we're about to find out." The three came together at the courtroom door, hesitating briefly before stepping back inside.

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><p>The trial continued on like nothing had happened. The two lawyers took turns poking holes in each other's arguments and citing various examples from the chipmunks' lives that even they couldn't remember clearly. Despite showing up far later than expected, the three didn't seem to miss anything special.<p>

Of course that wasn't entirely true. Both sides had called so-called 'experts' to argue on their behalf. Dave got plenty of support from old friends and business associates as character witnesses, but was equally condemned by the prosecutor's cast of disgruntled associates and 'concerned citizens'.

By the end of it, no one in the Seville family knew what to expect. They were all tired and confused, but mostly concerned; it all came down to one man's judgement.

"How do you think he's doing, Simon?" Theodore whispered beside him.

"I'm not sure, but I think we have a good shot."

After a few minutes of silence and hushed conversations, the judge drew the attention of the courtroom. He gestured to Dave to stand before delivering his verdict. "Mister Seville, I have carefully considered all the facts as presented and I have come to a conclusion. It has been made abundantly clear that these three in your care consider you a father figure and love you dearly; and that you have only their best interest at heart." Dave turned and smiled at his boys, confidence returning.

"However," Dave's heart sank, "It is clear to me that forcing performances from them to accommodate your own needs is an act of considerable cruelty. You may justify it as being 'for their own good', but that doesn't excuse your actions." The judge licked his lips, delivering the verdict clearly to the court. "I therefore must find you guilty as charged."

Alvin's previously-drowsy eyes shot open. "What! He never forced us to perform!" he shouted angrily. The courtroom erupted into a chorus of whispers. Dave was stunned and looked around with worry.

Theodore dove over the divider infront of him and latched onto Dave. "No! You can't take him!" He screamed.

The judge banged his gavel and made a gesture, ordering the court officers to intervene. Alvin sprung to his feet and intercepted, standing directly between them and Dave.

"Alvin, Theodore, please…!" Simon begged them to calm down to no avail. As one of the officers moved forward, Alvin sprung up and hit him hard, almost knocking him off his feet.

"You stay away from Dave!" he shouted at the stumbling officer. Alvin was much stronger than he looked, but he had his limits. He focussed an angry glare at the officers, but was quickly pulled away by a second officer behind and lifted off the ground. He swung his arms, hoping to connect with something, but had no success.

It took the effort of two more to pull Dave and Theodore apart, although neither of them were aggressive like the red-clad chipmunk. Theodore was pulled away kicking and screaming while Dave simply struggled against their efforts to move him. He frantically tried to reason with them, but his pleas fell on deaf ears, "Wait, what about my boys? You can't just leave them here!"

It was then that he noticed Simon had pressed through the ruckus caused by his brothers. He wasn't fighting the officers - he seemed to be unnoticed by them for the most part - but his face showed signs of panic. Still, Simon was reliable. If he only had time to get a message to one of them, it was best it was him.

Dave turned back to face the wide-eyed chipmunk in his wake. He took a deep breath and spoke as deliberately as he could. "Simon, take your brothers my parents' place and wait for me to call, alright?"

"But, Dave –"

"No 'buts', Simon!" The officers pulled him through the doors and out of earshot. Simon could only stand in the courtroom crestfallen.

"…we don't know where they live."


	2. Collateral

_**First of all, I honestly expected next to no reviews for the first chapter. As of right now, I have 10. Seriously, didn't see that coming. Thanks a lot!**_

_**Pressure's on now, I guess. This chapter worked out to be much longer than I expected…I get the feeling that's going to happen a lot before I'm done. Anyway, hopefully the last chapter wasn't just a fluke. Enjoy.**_

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><p>A particularly dark afternoon waited with the Seville brothers on the steps of the courthouse. It was hard to tell if it was the clouds in the sky that took the light away, or just the mood the day had taken on. Dave had been taken from them, despite their best efforts to prevent it – snatched away by the meddling of some faceless organization crusading for 'animal rights'.<p>

What about their rights? What about Dave's? He never did anything to hurt them…how was any of this fair?

Breaking their persistent silence, Alvin sprung to his feet. "Ok! So, what now?" It took his brothers a moment longer to snap out of their thoughts.

"I suppose we'll just have to fend for ourselves for a while," Simon responded with no enthusiasm.

Theodore's head propped up. "Hey, Simon, what did Dave say to you before they…well you know?"

"He said we should go to back to his parents' farm and wait for him to call."

A smile spread over Theodore's face, thinking he'd just solved the problem. "That's it! We'll just –"

"But as I tried to tell him, we don't know where they live." Simon interrupted.

"Oh…" Theodore's joy vanished. Simon reached over and ruffled his hair to cheer him up, but it didn't seem to make much difference.

Alvin scratched his head in thought and stepped down a few stairs so he was facing his brothers directly. "Come on, we can worry about that later. Let's just get home before it gets dark." Simon and Theodore hesitated. "It's better than just moping around here all night!" He grabbed his brothers' hands and pulled them to their feet.

Alvin threw his arms around his brothers' backs and led them downstairs. They knew he was right; just sitting there wasn't fixing anything. "Uh, Simon…" a thought suddenly occurred to Alvin, "you DO have change for a cab, right?"

Simon shook his head. "I barely have enough to make a phone call. We spent everything on those ice-creams, remember?"

Theodore looked up apologetically. "I'm sorry, Simon…"

Simon looked back down at him confused for a moment, then just chuckled at the apology. "Don't apologize, Theodore. We all had something to eat, it wasn't just you." He looked down the street in the direction they came from earlier that morning. It looked like their only option was to walk home, and they all knew it. Definitely no short journey, but the earlier they got started, the earlier they could rest. "Besides, the walk might do us all some good."

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><p>A cool breeze whipped through the air, causing a shiver from the youngest chipmunk. They were all still wearing their vests from the trial and hadn't even thought about them since, but even with them on the coldness of early night started to set in.<p>

It was hard to tell how long they'd walked for. In all likeliness, it was probably just short of an hour, but it felt much longer than that. A little chatter is all they could muster for the time being, and none of it particularly helpful. Of all the insignificant things brought up, one that none mentioned was the blackness of the clouds in the sky – maybe if they ignored it, it wouldn't bother them until they were home.

Considering how this day had turned out so far, they probably should have known things wouldn't be that simple.

At long last, they turned into their street and had their home in sight. They all noticed the large van and round-ish worker out front, but they refused to break their stride this close. Simon slouched and held his glasses in place to keep them from falling. "What now?" He questioned rhetorically.

They walked past the man and got half way to the front door before he spoke up. "Hey, boys, you can't go in there!" He called.

"Why not? It's our house!" Alvin challenged.

"Not any more it's not," the man disagreed emotionlessly. He held up the clipboard in his hand and tapped at the paper. "This property's been seized by the state."

"What? Why?" Simon questioned, frustrated.

"It says it was acquired with criminal funds. You're not allowed to profit from a crime."

"Well -" Simon tried to think of a compromise fast, but his mind couldn't keep up, "can we at least get some stuff from inside first?"

The man looked down at the blue-garbed chipmunk almost apologetically. "Sorry, kid. That stuff too. In a few days it'll all be moved into storage until they decide what to do with it."

Alvin despaired. All his stuff… gone? All his toys and his games? His TROPHIES? "What!" He shouted. He stammered for a bit and turned to Simon. "Simon, can't you do something?"

Simon looked away. "There's nothing I can do, Alvin," he replied with a sigh. Alvin clearly wanted to argue, but no words came to mind.

An awkward moment of silence passed before the man pulled the back of the van closed to mark the end of his work day. He climbed into the driver's seat and started up the engine, looking back only briefly to the three chipmunks beside him. "Good luck," he said unhelpfully and drove away.

Good luck…right. If there was one thing they were out of today, that was it.

Theodore fell back and sat on their front lawn, rubbing his aching feet through his shoes. "What do we do now?" He asked his brothers, who by now were inspecting the front door. They didn't answer directly, but wondered the same thing.

Stuck to the front door was a notice confirming what the worker had told them and forbidding entry, but the two didn't pay much heed to it. Simon checked the door and confirmed that it was locked.

"Can we get in, Simon?" Alvin questioned from behind him.

"I'm…afraid not." Simon mentally cursed at himself, "I didn't even think to ask Dave for a key. It looks like we're locked out."

Alvin grumbled. "Great!" He declared sarcastically and dropped down next to Theodore to sulk.

Simon walked across the lawn to join them. "I hope someone else has some ideas, because I'm out – " He stopped just short of sitting down, cut off by an epiphany. "Actually, I think I've just solved our little homelessness problem."

Alvin looked up at him, waiting for him to continue. Instead, Simon gestured with his eyes across the road; a sly grin had snuck onto his face.

Alvin was confused at first, but caught on immediately when he realized where Simon was looking. "What! You can't mean…no, anything but that!"

"Am I missing something?" Theodore asked curiously.

"He wants us to stay with the Chipettes!" Alvin cleared up, clearly hating the idea.

"Oh! I think that's a good idea." Theodore didn't share the opinion.

Theodore jumped to his feet, but Alvin remained seated and crossed his arms stubbornly. "Well I'm not doing it!" He protested.

Simon leant closer to taunt his outvoted sibling. "It's either that or be homeless," he offered in jest.

Alvin turned away. "Then I choose to be homeless!"

Simon rolled his eyes, then he and Theodore each grabbed one of Alvin's arms and started dragging him across the lawn. Between the two of them, his weight counted for next to nothing.

The stubborn chipmunk didn't fight them. He didn't really want to make this difficult, but he wasn't about to help them run into a train-wreck either.

* * *

><p>The three stood by the front door of the Miller house waiting for a response to the doorbell. Alvin had already risen to his feet – or rather, he was forced to his feet – and had no more time to object. Still, this was a waste of time.<p>

"Ok, Simon, I hope you're ready for this," Alvin tried to subtly pass the responsibility of talking over to his brother.

"Me?" Simon laughed. "Oh no, I'm afraid that's your job."

Alvin scoffed. "What? Why should I have to do it? It was your idea!"

Simon crossed his arms and eyed his elder. "The one who should handle negotiations should be the one with the most charisma," he explained. "Are you saying that I have more charisma than you?"

"Of course not!" Alvin retorted. He was about to go on, but froze in defeat – Simon just trapped him. He blinked and tried to change focus onto Theodore, "What about –"

The debate cut short as the door handle twisted open, not that it would have made much difference; neither brother noticed, but Theodore was nowhere to be found.

Standing in the open doorway was the familiar figure of Brittany Miller. "Who's…oh, it's you," she almost spat the greeting. "What do you want, Alvin?"

Alvin started to turn around, but Simon nudged him forward. Alvin cleared his throat, "Brittany! You're looking wonderful today. What's up, babe?"

Brittany rolled her eyes at the effort. "Well, I was having a nice night at home with my sisters until you showed up."

Ignoring the insult, Alvin continued. "Fantastic! But see, here's the thing. Our old man had a 'little' run in with the law, so we figured we'd just come over and visit our favourite neighbours for a while."

Brittany looked annoyed – or confused, it was hard to tell. "'Old man'? Do you mean 'Dave'? What are you getting at, Alvin?"

Simon sighed, knowing he had to intervene. "Dave got arrested, Brittany," he explained calmly. "We just got back from court, and now they've locked us out of the house."

Brittany's aggressive demeanour suddenly slipped away as Simon spoke. "Oh…I'm sorry. But what does this have to do with us?"

"Well," Alvin dropped his macho-act just as quickly as Brittany dropped her attitude, "we were kind of hoping we could stay here for a while. Just until something else turns up, I mean. How's that sound?"

The question stunned Brittany, but only for a second. _Is he serious? He can't be serious…_

"Ha!" She laughed mockingly, taking back her power-stance. "What do you think we're running here? This isn't some hotel where just anyone can move in." She grabbed the back of the door and flicked back her hair. "No, we have standards to uphold. Unfortunately, people like you –" she shot an angry glare at Alvin, "- don't make the cut. Goodnight!"

Before either brother could object, Brittany slammed the door shut.

Simon was dumbstruck. He really thought that would work; Brittany had her moments and there was certain to be clashing between her and Alvin, but surely that wouldn't matter this time. Something's already set her off, and Simon was pretty sure he knew what. "Alvin…" he turned with restrained anger towards his brother, "why is Brittany mad at you?"

"Who knows?" Alvin threw his hands behind his head and looked nowhere in particular. "You know Brittany. She'll get crazy at the drop of a hat." He hid a smirk; now was not the time.

Simon rubbed his head, trying to recompose himself after the incident. Alvin was lying, that much was obvious, but it wasn't anything special. He just miscalculated how much his mischief would affect this encounter, that's all. He took a deep breath and looked around in thought, only now noticing something was amiss. "Where's Theodore?"

Right on cue, the youngest chipmunk came running from the side of the house. "I'm here!" He announced. "How'd it go?"

"Not too well, I'm afraid." Simon confessed. "Because of a certain _someone_, they're not going to help us after all."

Theodore smiled coyly. "Oh, I wouldn't say that…" he rocked back and forward slightly, hands concealed behind his back. His brothers looked at him confused for a moment, which Theodore couldn't help but feel a trace of pride at. After a few seconds of stalling, he revealed to them what appeared to be a piece of scrap paper.

Simon took it from his sibling and inspected it. "It's a map of the woods," he explained to Alvin. It was crude and poorly detailed, but that was easy enough to figure out.

"Yeah!" Theodore confirmed with excitement. "While you two were out here, I went around to talk to Eleanor. She said if Brittany doesn't let us stay here, we can always stay in their old treehouse. So I got her draw a map." He looked from one brother to the other inquisitively, "Did I do good?"

Alvin threw his arm around Theodore. "No, you did great, Theo!" This was far from ideal, but he liked this plan a heck of a lot more than staying here. He looked back at Simon. "Right, Simon?"

Simon held the map in his hands and looked down at it. Not reading it or memorizing it, just…thinking.

"Right, Simon?" Alvin repeated slower.

"Huh?" Simon hesitated, trying to remember the question. "Oh, yes, right. You did very well, Theo," he smiled.

They stood around for a moment; Alvin with his arm around Theodore, Simon still half-lost in thought. It was clear what they had to do, but it seemed no one wanted to make the first step. They'd been walking all day, none of them felt much like starting another long journey. Least of all into the woods.

Eventually, Simon broke the silence with a sigh and rolled up the map. "We'd better get moving, it's already getting dark." They assembled back on the sidewalk and began walking, yet again.

* * *

><p>A long time ago, as early back as any brother could remember, they'd lived near the woods. Their home was Dave's home; a small, humble little place away from the conveniences of the city. Back then, they would just have to look out the window to see a forest of trees and plant-life, or a blanket of snow. Of course, over time the one-bedroom cottage lost its use for the non-standard family, so they took their earnings and moved somewhere larger and more comfortable.<p>

They never would have thought that living so far away from the woods would be an issue. Of all the conveniences their home had given them, it was all too clear that this wasn't one of them.

They were close to the borders of the woods now, but still had a while of concrete to go before they hit dirt. Energy was running low, but they would still make the occasional observational comment. All except for Simon, Alvin noticed after yet another comment went unheard by him. "Come on, Simon. Things aren't really THAT bad, are they?" He questioned.

Simon lifted his head - for the last few minutes he'd just been staring at the ground. "Not that bad? Where have you been?" He rebounded the question.

Alvin shrugged, "It could always be worse."

"And how could things possibly be worse?" Simon regretted the question as soon he said it. Almost like it was waiting for someone to speak those magic words, a droplet fell from the sky onto Simon's nose. His eyes narrowed as many more drops of water started to follow suit; this was happening way too much today.

"You should really stop saying things like that," Theodore pointed out. Simon just bit back his response and walked ahead in silence.

The others followed him from behind as the rain showered over them. This didn't even feel like a problem next to everything else. It might even be a good distraction from the tiredness. Anything to keep that down was welcome at this point.

Alvin looked up at the blackened sky, raindrops falling across his face. It was almost calming, and just seemed to fit with the situation. He took a deep breath of cool air and strolled forward with an odd sense of contentment. "Raindrops keep falling on my head…" he sang.

"I'm NOT in the mood, Alvin," Simon snapped. Alvin huffed, but stayed quiet anyway. There was no need to argue.

* * *

><p>It was definitely night now, and the rain had only picked up in strength, but finally they reached the X on the map – no small feat considering the lack of light and drops of water smearing the ink. The chipmunks looked up the tower of a tree infront of them and at the makeshift homestead at its peak, shielding their eyes from the downpour.<p>

"Is there a ladder somewhere?" Theodore asked, looking around the base of the tree. Alvin shook his head knowingly. "How are we supposed to get up there, then?"

Alvin stepped towards the tree-trunk. "By doing what chipmunks do best: we climb." He didn't even hesitate before jumping against the tree and starting a swift ascent. He and his brothers were natural climbers, and they had been as long as they could remember.

The youngest chipmunk stalled for a moment, utterly exhausted, but joined Alvin without trouble. Simon just groaned…he didn't like any of this. But there was nothing he could do anymore beyond just making sure he didn't fall too far behind.

Simon shoved the damp map into his pocket and started to climb behind his brothers. They were several meters above him already – it was a big tree. He tried to take it slow though; the bark was slippery and broken, and the storm was directly pushing down on his face from this angle.

As a reflex, Simon tried to brush the rain out of his eyes, which pushed his glasses off balance. He could only listen as they fell and shattered on the ground below. "Perfect, that's just perfect!" He cursed, then continued the ascent.

Before long, Simon had reached the deck of the treehouse and stepped inside with his siblings. He couldn't make out anything beyond obvious blurs where the walls were, but he assumed the accommodations were lacking.

Alvin wandered around the place to see what they had to work with while Theodore stayed back with Simon. "What's it look like?" Simon squinted around the room.

Theodore looked up at Simon, "What happened to your glasses?" He asked. Simon didn't respond. "Oh, right," it wasn't hard to figure out. "Well it's dry, I guess," was about all he could say for their surroundings while still staying optimistic.

Simon sighed. "It won't be for long if we keep dripping water everywhere," pools of water were forming underneath them from their soaked clothes. He brought Theodore closer and gestured for them to move out onto the deck – he didn't trust himself to stumble around blindly from up this high.

Meanwhile, Alvin hunted around the house for anything useful. The place was certainly more decrepit than he'd imagined it. It was more spacious than it looked from the outside, but everything was covered in dust, and most corners had webs or insect problems of some variety. The place was almost entirely unfurnished too, other than a few storage spaces and some broken bed-frames. It was hard to imagine this place would ever be able to live up to Brittany's ridiculous standards.

After a few minutes of scavenging, Alvin returned to the main room with his brothers. "Ok, so I took a look around and I…uh, why are you guys…"He was momentarily distracted by the sight of his brothers stripped down to their underwear.

Both Simon and Theodore were slightly shivering from the cold night air, their fur still damp from their recently-shed clothing. "It was either this or f-freeze to death," Simon put it simply. "Please tell me you found something to wear."

"Not exactly…" Alvin walked up to his brothers and handed them each a pillow and old bed-sheet, keeping one set for himself.

Simon accepted the handout without complaint and started setting up a makeshift bedroll in the centre of the room. Theodore took his time with his, but followed suit. "You should get out of those clothes. Just put them on the deck with ours and they should be dry by morning," Simon advised Alvin.

Somewhat reluctantly, Alvin obeyed. Immediately after shedding the clothes he became aware of just how drenched he'd gotten, and the trail of water he'd left everywhere. Mostly, he grew aware of the situation they were in now. It felt so unusual to be changing for bed without having pajamas to change into. _"You'll catch a cold,"_ Dave would warn them if he were here. He'd give them something warm to wear, maybe even make them some hot chocolate or have them sit around the fireplace.

Funny that would be what made things start to sink in.

Alvin walked back in and set up his bed on the floor next to his brothers; Theodore on one side and Simon on the other, just like back home. They all felt the fatigue of the day hit them immediately after slipping under the sheets. Their muscles refused to move anymore, exhaustion finally hitting now that they could rest.

They bid barely-audible goodnights to each other under the sound of the storm around the treehouse. This had been a big day, more-so than they could ever have expected. Finally, there was nothing left of it but sleep.

* * *

><p>Alvin's eyes slowly flickered open. The rain had died down by now, but another sound stirred him awake. After a few moments his eyes adjusted to the night; it was too dark to see well, but traces of moonlight let him see subtle shapes in the blackness. He listened to the sound and tried to find its source.<p>

It didn't take long. It was clearly something nearby and that was easy to narrow down; he turned to the figure of Simon and listened closely to the sounds. He thought he could hear sniffling and heavy, shaky breathing, but that couldn't be right. Was Simon…crying?

"Simon?" Alvin called quietly. He waited for a response but got none. He thought he must be mistaking the sound but opened his mouth to call again anyway, this time interrupted.

"What?" Simon replied with a clearly faked sternness. Try as he might, he couldn't hide a slight quiver in his voice.

So Simon was awake…"Are you alright?"

Simon sniffed. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Come on, Simon, you can talk to me," Alvin insisted, genuinely concerned. He only got silence in return at first, but hesitantly Simon replied.

"…it's just not fair." Alvin was about to ask what, but Simon elaborated on his own. "None of this is fair. We lose Dave; we lose our home; we lose everything. How can one day go so spectacularly wrong?" He stopped and took a deep breath, at least thankful that he wasn't facing Alvin right now. "We're living in a tree like we're..."

The room remained quiet. Simon's tears fell in silence for a brief moment as he tried to finish the sentence, but he could hardly bring himself to say the words.

"I'm not even a person anymore…" Simon almost whimpered the thought. "And now we're stuck out in the middle of nowhere and I can't even see! I'm…I'm scared, Alvin."A twinge of pain hit Alvin; he wasn't used to seeing his brother being so…vulnerable. Simon sighed faintly. "Just go to sleep. I'm fine," he lied.


	3. Outliers

_**I know the last chapter was fairly doom-and-gloom, which I'm kind of sorry about but not really. I do hope I'm not misrepresenting the story, but loss and coping are pretty noticeable themes at play, especially at this point.**_

_**I'd meant to have this done and uploaded by yesterday, but I fell a little behind. I didn't expect this chapter to be so long, so I ended up deciding I'd need another day to go over it. If this happens again, I might end up just splitting the chapter into parts...we'll see.**_

_**Anyway, I get the feeling I'm going to start losing people by next chapter. To those people, I'm sorry, but hopefully I've gotten just enough good-will that you'll read on anyway. Enjoy.**_

* * *

><p>"Alvin!" Theodore finally shook his brother awake. Alvin's arms flailed in the air for a moment defensively. "Finally!" he declared; he'd spent the last few minutes chanting his name to wake him up, but Alvin was a heavy sleeper. Especially today, apparently.<p>

Alvin rubbed his eyes and groaned. "Go back to bed, Theodore. Wake me when it's morning."

"It IS morning," Alvin's eyes shot open and filled with sunlight.

"What? Why didn't you wake me?" Alvin scolded.

Theodore scowled, "I did! You kept falling back to sleep!"

Did he? Alvin couldn't remember. Yesterday was completely exhausting; everything afterwards was just kind of a blur. "Well can you blame me? It's not every day you have to walk a thousand miles in the rain." He sat up and brushed at his hair, throwing on his signature red cap to mark the start of the day. "How can you get up so early, anyway?"

That was a silly question. "Well, it is breakfast time, isn't it?" Theodore responded. He was always up for breakfast; heck, half the time he was the one who made it.

"You found something to eat?" Alvin questioned with excitement, only now noticing how hungry he'd gotten. Theodore nodded and held out a little hand filled with berries. Alvin looked at him suspiciously, but tried one anyway. He bit down and swallowed quickly, cringing at the overwhelmingly sour taste. "What are you trying to do, poison me?" He spat.

Theodore half-retracted his offer. "I think I'd know if they were poisonous, Alvin. Besides, it's all we've got."

"Okay, okay!" Alvin conceded. "If that's all you've got, I'll live. I hope!"

Theodore chuckled. "Right, well I'll go see if I can find any more. You should wake up Simon and make sure we're not late."

"Late for what?" Alvin asked as Theodore stood up and started for the deck.

"Well, school, obviously."

Alvin's jaw dropped. He would have objected, but Theodore was already outside and climbing. He still wants to go to school? Is he crazy? Even Simon must be against school in this situation.

_Oh right, Simon…_ Alvin looked over at his sleeping brother, memories of the last night coming back. Theodore was doing a remarkable job of handling everything, and he thought Simon was doing fine too other than a typical bad mood, but what he saw last night broke that illusion. He didn't want to think about it, but he couldn't help it – he hated letting his brother feel that way.

Alvin fell back down onto the wooden floor that served as his bed. He still ached a little from the journey; he'd take all the rest he could get.

* * *

><p>Simon's eyes slowly blinked open to a blur of unfamiliar brown and grey. He reached over for his glasses but only touched down on empty ground, sighing as reality sunk back in. Was it too much to ask for this to all just be a dream?<p>

Alvin rolled onto his side to face his waking brother. "Hey, Simon. How are you feeling?" He asked with genuine concern. Simon had quite the moment of weakness last night.

Blinking hard, as though maybe his vision would clear up, Simon responded. "Thirsty, actually," there was no sadness in his voice now, he spoke very matter-of-factly. "Can you believe it? All that rain and not a drop to drink."

"That's not what I meant," Alvin corrected. "I mean about that stuff last night."

Simon lifted himself into a sitting position and looked thoughtful for a moment. "Alvin, nothing happened last night."

"I mean when you-"

"Alvin," Simon repeated, resting his head on his knees and looking at the vague shape of his elder, "nothing happened last night."

Alvin nodded, "Right." Clearly that wasn't anything he was meant to see. He could understand Simon not wanting to talk about it. "I must have just dreamed it."

* * *

><p>Theodore returned a few minutes later with barely a handful of berries to show for his efforts. Alvin had clearly just gotten out of bed and thrown on his clothes, but Simon continued to lie there and look off into the distance. He looked a little different this morning, like he was unwell or something.<p>

"What's wrong with Simon?" Theodore asked, keeping his voice low enough that Simon wouldn't overhear.

Alvin looked over, concerned but trying to keep it from showing. "He's just… got a cold. Nothing to worry about," he said as nonchalantly as he could. If Simon didn't want to talk about it, he probably shouldn't either.

A frown spread on the young chipmunk's face. That made sense; they were in the rain for a long time, after all. Dave used to warn them that this would happen. He started to walk over to Simon, then stopped as Alvin caught his arm.

"What are you doing?" Alvin whispered a bit more forcefully than he should have.

"What does it look like? I'm bringing Simon some breakfast," Theodore replied. Alvin let go; he couldn't think of any reason why that would be a bad idea without seeming suspicious.

Theodore crouched by Simon and held out his breakfast offering. "Hi, Simon. I brought you some breakfast." He paused for a moment, realizing Simon couldn't see clearly. "It's just some berries," he explained.

Simon slowly turned to his brother and clumsily accepted a small part of the offer. Alvin waited for the cringing look to appear on his face, but it seemed the sour taste didn't bother him. "Thanks, Theodore. I wasn't expecting breakfast in bed."

Theodore smiled. "Well you've got to keep your strength up for the walk to school, right?"

"Uh, Theodore," Alvin interjected, "I don't think now's a good time for school. We've got plenty of reason to take a few days off, right Simon?"

Simon shook his head. "No, Alvin. Nice try, but we're going."

Alvin was a little taken aback by that. Did Simon think that he was just using this as an excuse to get out of school? That wasn't it at all! Well, not really.

That wasn't the time, but Alvin had to clear this up.

* * *

><p>"What did you mean by 'nice try'?" Alvin asked. He and Simon had taken the lead in their extended walk to school, so Theodore was unknowingly just out of earshot.<p>

"You know exactly what I meant, Alvin," Simon scolded in a tired tone. "Don't pretend you don't."

"I wasn't just saying that to get out of school, Simon!" Alvin knew he was coming off as a little desperate, but he didn't like being accused of something he wasn't guilty of. "You believe me, right?"

"No, I don't." Simon was blunt. "You're always doing this; you try to justify your actions but the bottom line is that you're just selfish. I'm not letting you ruin this too!"

Alvin tore his eyes from Simon. It didn't matter what he looked at right now, as long as it wasn't him. _'Ruin this too…' _he knew what that meant. He also knew he should have stopped there, but his ego got the better of him. "So you're trying to blame me for everything?"

"I'm not _trying_ to blame you! The sources at the trial all pointed back to you; we missed our last hours with Dave because of your little shortcut; and our best friends turned us away because of a fight you obviously started. I think the evidence speaks for itself."

"Simon-"

"I don't want to hear it, Alvin!" Simon snapped, "You've done enough already."

Alvin almost stopped in his tracks at the outburst; he probably would have if they weren't already running late. Instead he just kept moving and avoided looking at his brother.

That could have easily turned into a heated argument, but Alvin didn't want that. He knew well enough that Simon was just acting out – he'd done it enough times himself that he could recognize it. He didn't mean to be hurtful, so Alvin had no trouble letting this one go.

But still…Simon was smart, even more so than he let on. Even acting on impulse, he'd know what he was talking about. That's the part that hurt; everything he said was true, and Alvin knew it.

* * *

><p>The Seville brothers arrived unusually late to school, entirely missing the morning classes. Instead of walking to their classrooms as they would any other day, they veered off into the yard to join the more timely students for the end of the lunch break.<p>

There was no one worth seeking out though – or at least no one that came to mind. Instead of socializing, they moved to the first table they could find and took a seat to rest after their travels.

The late arrival didn't go unnoticed. Sitting at their own table further towards the centre of the yard, the Chipettes watched with concern. The chipmunks weren't acting conspicuous in any way, but after they left the Miller house, the seriousness of the situation started to dawn. When they didn't arrive for class, the worry got worse, but that made the Chipettes' efforts to find them now that much more focused.

Jeanette was the first to spot them, and pointed them out to Brittany as soon as they fell back on their seats to rest. Brittany shared a brief look of concern with her sisters, "Ok, let's get this over with." She stood up and made her way over to the other table.

Brittany dropped down three paper bags infront of the sulking chipmunks. Simon inspected the one closest to him suspiciously. "What are these?"

"Your lunches," Brittany replied in a neutral tone.

Simon looked to his brothers. "Not that we're not grateful, but…why?" He asked for all of them.

"More importantly," Alvin pulled a sandwich from his bag and smirked at Brittany, "who did you con into making them?"

Brittany put her hands on her hips. "I didn't con anyone! I made these all by myself."

"Of course you did," Alvin responded sarcastically, "because that's just so like you."

Following in their sister's wake, Eleanor and Jeanette joined the table. "She actually did, Alvin," Jeanette defended, but sounded a little uncertain herself. "She even got up early to get them done on time."

Brittany blushed. "Yeah, well…I didn't know if you'd have anything without Dave around. I didn't want you to be hungry all day." She shuffled a little and recomposed herself. "Besides, now no one can say I didn't help out!"

Jeanette sighed and sat down at the table opposite Simon, Eleanor sitting by her side. Brittany lingered for a moment stubbornly, then pushed her youngest sibling aside to claim the middle of the seat – she refused to sit across from Alvin.

The chipmunks accepted Brittany's lunches happily. It wasn't much – a sandwich and some fruit – but it was better for their appetite than a few sour berries.

"Where have you guys been staying, anyway?" Brittany asked.

Before any of them could respond, Eleanor spoke up. "I told them they could stay in the treehouse."

"You what!"

"Come on, Brittany, we're not using it anymore," Eleanor wasn't in the habit of letting Brittany always take charge; not for matters like this at least.

"What's up with that place, anyway?" Alvin asked. "I thought it was meant to be like a palace."

"It was," Eleanor answered, Brittany still too busy glaring at her to do it herself. "But when we moved in with Miss Miller we took a lot of the stuff with us. The rest kind of got moved over time. We haven't been there in a while though, so there's not much left. I probably should have mentioned that."

Alvin huffed. "Yes, you should have."

Simon fiddled with his sandwich, inspecting it but not eating it. "Well we appreciate it anyway. It's easy to forget that you've all been through this before."

Jeanette looked straight at Simon, "I don't think any of us are going through what you are." The Chipettes were orphans and had to fend for themselves for a long time before Miss Miller came along, but this wasn't really the same situation.

Alvin raised a brow. That seemed like an odd thing to say, and it sounded like she wasn't speaking about all of them.

"It's not that different," Brittany seemed to miss the veiled subtext, "but at least they have friends like us to watch out for them." An egotistical confidence was clear in her tone; it seemed she was all too proud to help out.

After a short moment of boasting, Brittany finally noticed Simon's lack of appetite. "You're not going to eat that? I didn't make it wrong, did I?"

Simon looked up at her, otherwise distracted for a moment. "Oh, no, you did an excellent job. It looks great, really!"

Brittany narrowed her eyes. "Then why aren't you eating?"

"Is it because of your cold, Simon?" Theodore questioned beside him.

Simon looked down at him, confused. "Who told you I –" his eyes flicked to Alvin for a moment, then returned. "…I don't have a cold, Theodore. I just don't feel like eating, that's all." He smiled and passed along his barely-touched sandwich. Theodore reluctantly accepted it, then stashed it away in his lunch bag. It was unusual for him to save lunch, but it looked like he was treating this more as a food supply than a meal.

That made Simon smile. It was only fleeting, but he was proud of Theodore's foresight.

Right on cue, the school bell rang to put an abrupt end to an already short lunch. Alvin and Theodore put away what remained of their lunches while Simon passed his along, then they all arose to make their way to class.

* * *

><p>Miss Stone, the third grade teacher, was a kind woman. She had flowing blonde hair and a gentle, encouraging personality that drew the attention of more than one Seville. Alvin had developed quite the crush on her early into the year, but of course got turned down when he tried to pursue things. She gave a fair reason, but Alvin only considered it an excuse.<p>

As it turned out, Miss Stone and Dave had a mutual attraction that served as a scapegoat for Alvin's pride. Things did end between her and Dave eventually, but on good terms. To her credit, she never let that little matter get in the way of her teaching.

She was good as a teacher too. Always supportive and willing to go the extra mile for her students, but perhaps her most noticeable fault was that she took her time responding to the school bell. The class had already assembled at their desks several minutes before she walked in.

"I hope you all enjoyed your lunch," Miss Stone greeted the class from the front of the room. "If you'll all open up your text books, we can just pick up where we left off." Theodore looked around at his brothers, unsure of what to do without any books to use. Alvin just shrugged in response.

Miss Stone took notice of the chipmunk boys. "While the rest of you work on that, could I speak with the Sevilles and the Millers out in the hall, please?" She gestured to the six. Hesitantly they complied and followed their teacher out the door, leaving their classmates to their work.

Miss Stone took a short overview of the class before closing the door to keep the conversation private. "I'm really sorry to spring this on you, but I wanted to make sure I could speak with all of you together. Has anyone gone over with you what Dave's trial means now?" She never did return to a formal manner of speaking when it came to Dave.

Simon sighed. "No, but I think I know where this is going." He was really hoping this wouldn't come up, but that was just wishful thinking.

"The law's stance is that none of you are legally treated as people anymore, I'm afraid." Miss Stone tried to be as gentle as possible. "It's really something you should speak with the principal about, but the way it sounds–"

Simon cringed, blocking out the rest of the speech. He knew what she was going to say before she said it. _As long as we're not people, we can't be students either. _He could feel Alvin's eyes on him but resisted the urge to meet his gaze. It wouldn't really matter anyway when he couldn't see clearly.

The six chipmunks remained quiet, just looking at each other in the hopes that someone had something to say – other than Brittany, who just glared at Alvin. It was hard to tell if she blamed him for this too or was still angry from whatever happened before.

Regardless, no one was looking forward to getting the official word.

Breaking the silence, Alvin spoke up. "Well, only one of us has to go see the principal, right?" Miss Stone nodded. "Ok, then the rest of you can go back to class. I can handle this by myself."

Brittany stomped her foot against the ground. "You better know what you're doing, Alvin! You got us into this mess, you can get us out." She started to march off with her sisters in her wake. They kept up and tried to remedy her bad mood, but that was no simple task.

While Brittany was pouting and her sisters were distracted, Simon chimed in. "Let you handle this alone? Have you lost your mind?"

"Simon, trust me," Alvin said, but he said it differently this time. Usually those words were filled with pride and feigned confidence, but now they sounded completely sincere.

Simon noticed this. He didn't know what why it was different, but he was willing to give Alvin the benefit of the doubt this time. "Ok, Alvin. Go ahead," he replied reluctantly. _P__lease, don't make things any worse…_

* * *

><p>Alvin was walking back down the hall by the time the school bell rang, on his way back to class. He'd be lying to himself if he thought he was eager to get back; once that business was taken care of, he took as much time as he needed for everything else. After all, who could pass up a chance to ditch class legitimately?<p>

The students left the third grade class single-file and funnelled into the halls, followed by a familiar band of chipmunks. They noticed Alvin and headed in his direction, meeting him half way down the corridor.

"Ok, Alvin," Simon spoke first with a saddened tone once they were closer, "just tell us the bad news now so we can get on with it."

Alvin grinned at his brother's pessimism. "Bad news? I have no idea what you're talking about!"

"Quit stalling and just say it," Simon responded. Alvin's teasing must have seemed like mocking when Simon couldn't make out his expression.

"Simon, Simon, Simon…you give me too little credit," Alvin continued, but the glares of the others warned him to stop pushing it. "The short version is that we can stay."

"You-" Simon was prepared to get angry, he didn't expect good news. "Wait, you're telling us that you went into Miss Milliken's office and convinced her to _keep _us in school? How did you, of all people, manage that?"

Alvin brushed off what was probably meant as an insult. "Please, Miss Milliken loves me! I just threw on the old Seville charm and she was putty in my hands."

Brittany pushed past Simon. "Uh huh, right, but what really happened?"

Alvin groaned. The questioning was ruining his moment. "I just pointed out that she's already been paid for the semester, so it's not going to cost anything to have us around anyway. But it was the way I said it that made it work!"

Brittany shrugged, "I guess she was in a good mood."

"There are a few tiny conditions though," Alvin resumed. "Well, more just one big one. If anyone gets sent to her office for punishment, the deal's off…something about a liability." They all looked at him with narrowed eyes – it was pretty obvious who that condition was aimed at. "Don't look at me like that; I said I can handle it!"

Eleanor sighed and started to move down the hall. "Good job, Alvin. Really. But can we talk about it outside instead of just standing here?" Her sisters followed her lead, as did Simon and Theodore.

As Simon started to step past him, Alvin held out his hand. "Oh right, one more thing," he presented an assortment of bound books. "I stopped by the library on my way back; I thought you could use something to read."

Simon felt out at the books just to confirm they were real. "I appreciate the thought, but carrying those all the way back to the treehouse is an unnecessary burden. More importantly," he waved a hand in front of his grey-blue eyes, "they won't do much good when I can't see."

Alvin looked down and thought for a moment, then perked back up. "Don't you worry about the details; I'll take care of everything!" He pulled the books under his arm and took off down the corridor without his brothers.

The remaining two stood back in his wake for a moment before moving on. "Theodore, does something seem…odd about Alvin to you?" Simon asked his little guide. Maybe he was missing something when he couldn't make out the visual details.

"He _is_ acting kinda funny," Theodore confirmed. "Do you think maybe he has a cold?"

* * *

><p>Simon and Theodore walked out the school gates, the day officially ended some time ago. Alvin had vanished after delivering the news to them and was still nowhere to be seen. Him skipping out on class wasn't too unusual, but they didn't want to actually leave without him unless they had to.<p>

Unfortunately, it looked like that time had come. The Chipettes stayed back as long as they could, but Simon insisted they head home before Miss Miller started to worry.

"Hey guys, wait up!" Alvin shouted, noticing them start to walk off without him. They turned to face him, giving him a moment to run over.

"Well if it isn't Mr. Reliable," Simon lectured. "We've been waiting here for over an hour. Care to explain your absence?"

"Of course," Alvin replied and forced himself closer to Simon, reaching towards him.

Simon pushed him back, but he kept shifting closer. "What are you doing?" He fidgeted.

"Would you just hold still for a second!" Alvin forced something onto Simon's face.

Simon stopped and blinked – everything was clear again. He reached up and touched the familiar set of glasses placed over his eyes. "Alvin, where did you find these glasses?" He asked, genuinely surprised.

"It was pretty obvious that you'd have a spare somewhere, so I went home to look for them."

"But the house was locked, and just…why?"

"Well you heard the guy with the van; that stuff's not going to be there for long. It was either now or never, so I went in through the window."

"The windows were locked too," Theodore pointed out.

"So I unlocked them. With…a rock." Alvin chuckled nervously.

Simon cleaned his glasses with the fabric of his clothes – a welcome and familiar habit. "As much as I disapprove of your hooligan larceny, I must say you did well." That was about as close to a thanks as he could get at that point.

"You're welcome," Alvin responded with pride. "Now let's get back to the treehouse before it gets dark!" He started to walk on ahead of his brothers when Simon noticed he was still carrying the bound books.

"Alvin, I can carry my own books," Simon offered, but Alvin was insistent on carrying them himself.

"What part of 'take care of everything' didn't you understand?" He kept up his pace without looking back. Skeptically, Simon and Theodore followed. Alvin trying to be responsible…that kind of behavior was more concerning than anything else they could imagine from him.

* * *

><p>By the time they got back to their treetop home, Alvin was ready to collapse. He stumbled over to his bed and fell onto the pillow, groaning with fatigue.<p>

Simon shook his head. Alvin shouldn't have overexerted himself. They had to walk for hours anyway just to get to and from school; there was no need for him to double-up by going to their house too – especially with the added weight of the books. This was a different kind of stubborn, but he was still stubborn nonetheless.

While Theodore dug through the remaining lunch supplies, Simon sat beside his drowsy brother. It wasn't exactly a moral high-ground, but Alvin would be easier to talk to when he didn't have the energy to be so dramatic

"Alvin, are you awake?" Simon asked, getting a nod in response. "You can't keep doing stuff like this, you know. It's not healthy to overwork yourself."

Alvin groaned. "Don't worry, I won't."

With bags of food under-arm, Theodore hopped over and joined his brother at Alvin's side. "It sure was nice of Brittany to bring us lunch, huh?"

Simon nodded. "That was quite the relief. I guess she felt guilty about turning us down in the first place." He pulled the sandwich from his bag and bit into it, following the lead of his little brother.

Alvin didn't get to eat whatever was left over for him. The long day had caught up to him and pulled him into a deep sleep. It was exhausting, but it was worth it; Simon was starting to act like himself again, and that was a good sign.

* * *

><p>The next morning was easier than the last. They were reduced to scraps for breakfast, most of which went to Theodore, but the attitude of the broken family had improved. Simon could see again, which alone made a big difference in his demeanour. The major drawback being that now he could clearly see how unkempt their accommodations were.<p>

Alvin was no happier than the other day, but was too exhausted to complain about the petty things, which didn't hurt matters. Theodore was just pleased knowing things were starting to even out.

Even if they weren't happy with the situation, they were at least closer to being content with it, which wasn't something they expected.

News from Brittany broke that state of mind. "Dave called this morning. He tried calling his parents but couldn't find you there, so I volunteered to pass on the message. He wants to see you guys as soon as he can."

That was enough to end the contentment, but they did just that; as soon as school was out, they started on their way to meet their imprisoned father. The Chipettes wished them luck when they parted at the school gates, but it didn't do much to calm the boys' nerves. The walk to the prison was carried out in silence.

* * *

><p>The Seville brothers stood just outside of the prison entrance, having a hard time crossing the threshold. Theodore clung tightly to Simon, "I don't wanna go in there…i-it sounds scary."<p>

Simon patted him on the back. "I know, but we have to be strong for Dave. Right, Alvin?" He looked back to his elder who lingered a few steps behind.

"I don't want to go in either…" Alvin admitted.

Simon gave him a disbelieving look. "Why not? I would have thought seeing Dave would be important to you. It certainly means a lot to him."

Alvin looked at his feet uncomfortably. "I know, and I do. It's just that…" a sombre look appeared in his eyes and his voice went quiet, "…I just don't want him to blame me too." He took a deep breath, then sighed it away, quickly trying to force himself on before he could let his nerves get the better of him. "Come on, Dave's probably waiting for us," he ordered, walking past his brothers and into the building. Simon followed, Theodore still hugging him close for comfort.

They stepped into a small, green-tiled room. Two corridors stood at either side; a locked one leading further into the prison, and the one behind them leading out. There wasn't anything aesthetically pleasant to be seen; only a few desks topped with documents, and a single moustached man tending to paperwork.

The man looked at the nervous newcomers. "Let me guess…you're Seville's boys?" His gruff voice was offset by the almost comical bounce of his facial hair when he spoke.

The younger brothers waited for Alvin to answer, but he was too busy fidgeting with his feet. Realizing his brother wasn't going to handle it, Simon took charge. "Yes, that's correct. We'd like to see Dav- uh, Mr. Seville, if we may."

The man eyed the room around them. "Where's your guardian?" He asked.

"G-guardian?" Theodore repeated.

"Children aren't allowed in the visiting area without a legal guardian I'm afraid."

Simon groaned and adjusted his glasses. He was getting sick of all the legal roadblocks getting in the way; they didn't come all the way down here just to leave. "Ok, how about this? Obviously you know what he's in for. As far as the law's concerned, we're not children - we're animals, and last time I checked, animals didn't need legal guardians."

A single chuckle sounded from the man. That wasn't exactly the reaction Simon was hoping for. "Look, boys, I'm not meant to let 'animals' in either. It's not against the rules, but it is a safety issue." Simon lowered his gaze. "You're just lucky you caught the Governor in a good mood. I'll tell you what I'll do: your father has promised me that you'll behave, so if you can do that, I can't see any harm in letting you through for a little visit."

Simon smiled. "Thanks, we appreciate the leniency. And don't worry, we'll be on our best behavior," he promised for all of them.

The man stood and walked around his desk, leading the chipmunks down the opposite corridor. "The name's Parrish, by the way," they exchanged introductions as he led them down the halls. Simon had to speak for Alvin, whose focus never seemed to leave the floor.

Barely a few corners into the prison and they'd arrived at a small, confined room with only a clock and table for decoration. Mr Parrish listed the rules for the visit, "You'll only have twenty minutes with him when he arrives, since visiting hours are almost over. Once he's here, there's to be no physical contact. You can speak only English, and the visit will end early if anyone misbehaves. I'll have to be here the whole time. You get all that?" They nodded, so he left to let Dave know he had visitors.

Once the footsteps of their guide vanished down the hall, Simon moved over to Alvin. "Are you going to tell us what's wrong?" He asked, worried about Alvin's sudden change of attitude.

"I just don't like this place, alright?" Alvin shifted with discomfort. "I don't like Dave being stuck in a place like this. It makes me feel sick to my stomach. So I have one weakness, big deal!"

Simon looked at him for a moment, trying to gauge whether or not he making excuses. As far as he could tell, he wasn't, but he was downplaying it. "Ok, Alvin. Don't worry about it. Theodore and I can handle the visit, I'm sure Dave will understand."

Alvin was grateful for that, but tried not to let it show. He didn't think he'd able to get through this himself.

A few moments later, the door opened to let Mr Parrish and Dave inside. Dave barely set foot in the room before Theodore called out in joy and gave him a big welcome-hug. "No physical contact," Mr Parrish reminded him.

"Oh, sorry," Theodore let go. Simon also delivered a warm welcome, but he remembered to keep his distance.

Dave took a seat at one end of the table at Mr Parrish's insistence. Simon and Theodore shared the seat at the opposite end, leaving Alvin to sit on the ground beside them. It didn't matter too much; he was turned towards the wall anyway so that he didn't have to watch. Listening was more than enough.

Dave noticed Alvin hadn't responded with the same enthusiasm as his brothers. "Is Alvin ok?" He asked with concern.

"He's fine, Dave," Simon answered, "he's just not feeling well right now." That was technically the truth.

Dave nodded in understanding. "And what about you guys? I tried, but I couldn't reach you at my parents' place."

"Well that's because we…" Simon cleared his throat nervously. "We didn't go to the farm."

Dave's eyes widened. "But Simon, I thought I told you –"

"- to wait there for you to call," Simon finished. "Yes, I know, but if you recall, we don't actually know where they live."

Dave almost slapped himself in the forehead when he noticed his mistake. "Oh, right. I'm sorry guys, that completely slipped my mind."

"That's ok," Theodore piped up, "Eleanor's letting us stay in the Chipette's treehouse."

"So…you're all by yourselves?" Dave sounded concerned, but Theodore nodded happily anyway. "Gee, I don't know…I don't like the sound of that."

"It's not as bad as it sounds," Simon defended. "It's at least better than being stuck in a prison. I can't imagine how terrible it must be to be kept in a place like this," he exclaimed, momentarily forgetting they were being watched. "No offence."

"Well it's definitely no five-star resort, but it's not so bad. I'm just worried about you guys."

"Don't be. We had… a bit of a bumpy start, but I'm sure we'll be fine now."

"I hope Alvin's not giving you too much trouble."

"Actually, Dave, Alvin's been a huge help." Alvin smiled at that, not that anyone could see it.

"Alvin? Really?" Well-founded disbelief.

"Trust me, I wouldn't be saying it if he didn't. He's the whole reason we haven't been kicked out of school."

Dave smiled at the back of his oldest boy. "Well I'm proud of you, Alvin." Alvin didn't respond, but Dave knew he was listening.

Mr Parrish drew Dave's attention by tapping on the clock on the wall. Dave got the message, then turned back to his two attentive boys. "I don't want to rush into things, but there is something I need to talk to you about."

Theodore frowned. "It's not more bad news, is it?"

Dave would have laughed at the question, but the situation was still a bit too serious for that. "No, this is good news. Maybe. It's hard to say. Right now I'm here for almost a year, which is bad news, but I've spoken to our lawyer and he says we might still have a chance of fixing things." All three boys paid closer attention, intrigued. "He's started to work on an appeal, which means that in a month we get to try again and reverse the first judge's decision. It's not a sure-thing, but he thinks he can build a better defence now that he knows what to expect."

Simon nodded thoughtfully, "Yes, an appeal would be the best option."

"The only thing is, that still leaves you boys alone until then. Are you sure you'll be ok?"

Simon looked at Theodore, then back at Alvin. He thought back to the Chipettes lending a hand, and to Miss Stone's quiet support. A month was a long time, but things were looking up already. "I think we'll manage."

* * *

><p>When their time was up, Alvin, Simon and Theodore bid a tearful goodbye to Dave and left him to his sentence. Alvin's farewell was brief and distant; it was the best he could do. Mr Parrish told them they could come back for a longer visit next week, but it was hard to not feel sad that they'd have to leave him alone for so long.<p>

The chipmunks returned to the treehouse with conflicted feelings in the air. One month they'd have to fend for themselves, maybe a year if things went badly, but it was a sliver of hope.

There was a lot on all their minds. The last few days had been incredibly trying, but it was starting to look like they'd make it. There was a light at the end of the tunnel, as the saying goes.

Simon sat under his sheets, stacking and sorting the previously-bound books to his side. It was about time for bed and there wasn't much use trying to read by moonlight anyway. He looked over towards Alvin, who was getting ready to sleep beside him. "I still can't believe you got us to stay in school. That's not at all like you," he commented.

Alvin shifted in his sheets, trying to get comfortable against the wooden floor. "I know it means more to you than me. I'm not THAT selfish, you know." That was the honest reason; Alvin would love to get away from school if he could, but Simon needed it. For some reason, it was important to him, and Alvin didn't want to let him lose anything else like that. They'd lost enough.

Simon took off his glasses and looked down at them in thought for a moment. The sight of them made him reflect on the last few days, which made him realize how terrible he'd been to Alvin, especially considering all the effort he's gone through. Things would have been a lot harder if he hadn't stepped up. "Look, Alvin…about what I said the other day…I'm sorry."

Alvin sat up. An apology was the last thing he was expecting. He knew exactly what Simon was talking about, but frankly he didn't think he deserved it. "Don't worry about it, I had it coming," he qualified.

"No, you didn't," Simon shook his head. "It's not your fault that we're in this situation, and it never was. But it wouldn't matter regardless; what matters is that we're all in this together."

Those words warmed Alvin's heart. He didn't completely believe them, but they were nice to hear. "Thanks, Simon…" He laid back down against his pillow and closed his eyes. They all needed sleep.

Lying there, Alvin couldn't help but reflect on the last few days himself.

Dave gets taken away from them and they lost everything they owned, which was hard. Then Simon broke down infront of him, which was even harder. He seemed better now though, which was beyond relieving. It was heartbreaking seeing him like that.

And then there was that prison visit…Alvin had no idea how difficult that would be. He just couldn't find the strength to face it. He knew he had to, for Dave's sake, but it felt like the whole place was crushing down on him…the thought of it was painful enough. Still, he was glad he went; it was worth it to hear Dave again.

It was kind of funny; he would have thought that Dave being proud of him would mean everything, but it was Simon saying it that made him smile. Maybe it was because Simon didn't make him go through all that himself. That was one thing he could always count on; Simon could always be relied on when you really needed help.

Alvin smiled thinking about it. That really meant a lot to him. Simon really meant a lot to him. He couldn't put his finger on it, but it felt different now. He'd had feelings close to these before, but they couldn't possibly be the same this time. The way he felt about Simon, it was almost like he -

Alvin's eyes shot open.

_Aww, nuts…!_


	4. Motions for Dismissal

_**The response to that last chapter…fantastic. Seriously, the reviews put a smile on my face. I'm glad I haven't driven everyone off!**_

_**Also, notice that my titles all have multiple meanings? Oh, I'm so clever…anyway, I hope you enjoy this next longer-than-expected chapter. Should be pretty easy to pick who this one's focusing on.**_

* * *

><p>Alvin tossed and turned all night. He couldn't help it; his mind was flooded with questions and unwanted answers. It all seemed to come back to one truth: he had a crush on Simon. He missed it at first, and honestly he wished he still did. It would have been so much easier if he just never figured it out; there was more than enough to worry about without this stuck in his head.<p>

Alvin wanted to slap himself over the epiphany. It seemed so clear and certain now. He just wanted to forget he ever thought about it and get back to what mattered.

Everything was perfectly fine before, surely if he just ignored this, things would stay on track, right? If he didn't notice, it wouldn't be a problem; he just needed to put it out of mind.

Of course, that was easier said than done. It felt like it took hours to get to sleep that night, and even when he did manage it, he just woke up a little while later. Again and again he drifted to sleep just to drift awake again by wandering thoughts. Eventually though, fatigue took over, and forced Alvin to sleep.

Hours later, sunlight stirred the chipmunk out of his exhaustive slumber. He groaned and rubbed his eyes, feeling just as tired after the night as he did before it. He couldn't even remember falling asleep, but it was a little mercy that the night was over. With sore eyes, he looked around, noticing neither of his brothers were around him. He panicked a little and shot his glance from side to side. "Simon? Theodore!" he called out.

"Right here!" Simon's hand waved from the balcony doorway. He lingered for a moment out of sight, then walked inside to bid good morning to his brother, crouching at his bedside.

Simon was fully dressed, and it looked like he had been for a while. The sun was brighter than morning too; obviously, Alvin overslept. "What time is it?" He asked.

"Hmm, I would say…" Simon feigned thoughtfulness, "we don't have a clock." Alvin shot him a dirty look. "But I'd guess it's getting close to lunch time now."

"Why didn't you wake me?" Alvin groaned, brushing his hair through his fingers.

"We figured you could use the sleep. Theo and I had plans to work on, anyway. We've decided to do some…renovations over this weekend." He and Theodore had been going over ideas for a while now during a breakfast of the lunches Brittany was thankfully still providing. "We figured we'd need you ready for the more laborious tasks."

"Well I'm up now, let's get to work!" Alvin tried to psych himself into the day, but his macho act lost its touch when he had to blink hard to avoid losing focus.

Noticing the tiredness in Alvin's eyes, Simon sighed. "You don't look well enough to do anything physical right now; you should probably rest a little longer."

"I've had plenty of rest; I'm fine!" Alvin argued and started to get up.

Simon put his hand to his brother's chest effortlessly pushed him back down. "Of course you are. You're just overflowing with energy," he sarcastically taunted his weakness.

Although it was completely innocent, Alvin blushed at his brother's touch on his bare chest; or, rather, the thought of it. The touch was nothing, nothing at all, but after his realization during the night, he wondered: should that mean more to him? Does it already?

Simon pressed the back of his hand to Alvin's forehead and rested it there for a moment. He shook his head and took it away. "You have a fever, Alvin," he misdiagnosed. "You're overworking yourself. Just stay in bed for another hour or two, THEN decide if you're well enough to come down. I won't have you working if you're just going to collapse half way in." He stood slowly and left, leaving Alvin to rest.

Alvin slumped back down against his pillow. As much as he'd love to get some proper sleep, he knew that wasn't about to happen.

* * *

><p>Simon threw a sketched floor-plan of the treehouse onto the ground so he and Theodore could look over it together. Beside the two chipmunks was a small set of books, a very basic assortment of repurposed school equipment to use as tools, and several pieces of paper covered in notes. They'd spent quite a while going over what needed changing now that they'd been in the treehouse for just under a week.<p>

"I've organized the suggestions by urgency and then by efficiency, so we can get as much as possible done before school starts," Simon explained. He pointed to a small section of the floor plan. "This room here is pretty much empty; I assume it was used for storage. Since we don't have anything to store, I was thinking we could repurpose it into a bathroom after we sort out some form of indoor plumbing." He didn't need to elaborate on why that was a high priority – it was pretty self-explanatory by now.

"Yeah…" Theodore avoided eye contact for a moment. "What about this?" He bounced back and pointed to a highlighted part of the main room.

"I thought we could make that part of the room into the kitchen. What do you think?" Simon asked.

Theodore eyed the floor-plan for a moment in analysis. "Hmm…" he pondered. "Does it have to be so close to the window? The food's going to get cold if you have it there."

"I'm afraid so. We'll need to ventilate the smoke, and we can't exactly cut a hole in the roof or rain would ruin it anyway." It would have been great to have a proper stove to work with, but the plan called for what was essentially just a controlled campfire for cooking. It was the best they could come up with under the circumstances. Simon sighed, "It would be a lot easier if we had electricity to work with, but that'll have to work on its own."

Theodore nodded; it was better than nothing. "We can still have the pantry here, right?" He pointed just to the side of the 'stove'.

"I can't see why not."

Theodore pointed to the third and final room of the treehouse; the middle-sized room at the back. "So that would make that the bedroom," he deduced. "Do you think you can put the bed frames back together?"

"Probably," Simon half-answered, "but we're going to need to salvage those for materials, anyway." Simon subconsciously rubbed his back. Sleeping on the floor was incredibly uncomfortable after having a bed for all those years and he was sure it was going to mess up his spine sooner or later, but he had to prioritize.

Theodore chuckled.

That confused Simon. "What? Did I say something funny?"

"No, I was just thinking," Theodore grinned, "this is going to be fun!"

Simon laughed disbelievingly. "Fun? I hope you realise this is going to be a lot of work."

The cheery chipmunk nodded, "I know, but we haven't got to do anything like this in ages."

"Theo, we've never done this before."

"I mean stuff like this but not…well, you know what I mean!"

Simon shared in the grin. It had been a while since they all got together for a big project. Usually it was part of some scheme Alvin concocted, but not always. As stressful as those times were, at the very least they were distracting. Something both distracting and productive was exactly what they needed right now, and having a chance to tinker with something big, useful and challenging…heck, maybe Theodore was on to something. His optimism was contagious, apparently.

"So what do we do first?" Theodore asked enthusiastically.

"First of all, we 'prepare our workspace'," Simon began, but stopped when he noticed Alvin coming down from the treehouse using their recently-installed vine ladder.

"Good morning!" Alvin greeted them with a smile as he slid down the last few meters.

Simon tapped his foot. "Alvin, I thought I told you to get some rest."

"I did-"

"For ten minutes?"

Alvin blinked. He could swear he was up there for over an hour! He held his hand to forehead…maybe he really did have a fever.

Simon rolled his eyes. It was too late to complain now. "Well, as long as you're here, I was just telling Theodore that we're going to have to get our materials before we can get to work."

"Leave it to me!" Alvin pointed to himself proudly, then noticed Simon wasn't done. "Um, so, what materials am I getting?"

"You and Theodore are going to go around and grab anything in the woods that can be useful: vines, branches, thick bark…things like that." Simon listed them off on his fingers. "I, meanwhile, am going to go to the store to buy some nails."

"I'm surprised you know so much about building a treehouse," Alvin observed.

"Well I ought to, I have been studying it from one of your books." He pointed back to one of the books beside them.

'_Anatomies of Primitive Architecture' is about treehouses?_ Alvin didn't know what half the books he grabbed were about; he just figured the bigger the names, the more likely Simon would like them.

Simon continued, "If there's no questions, we'd might as well get started. Make sure to stick together while I'm gone; I'll probably be back before you're done." He turned to leave, but paused to whisper to Theodore first. "Keep an eye on Alvin. He's acting a little strange today."

* * *

><p><em>It's not all bad…it's not like I have to act on anything. He's just there for me if I need him, that's all. So I have a crush on him now, big deal! I've had crushes before; either it'll just go away on its own or-<em>

"Alvin!"

"What!" Alvin snapped at Theodore.

Theodore huffed back at him, "Quit daydreaming! I can't carry this all by myself, you know." After a couple of hours of scavenging, they'd managed to find more scraps than they could carry, so they put together a makeshift wheelbarrow out of branches and leaves. Well, minus the 'wheel' part at least – it took two of them to carry it around.

"I wasn't daydreaming!" Alvin turned defensive. "I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"About…uh, nothing!" Alvin suddenly felt embarrassed by his thoughts.

"You were thinking about nothing?" Theodore couldn't help but laugh.

Alvin missed the humour. _How is me thinking about nothing…_ "Hey!" he snapped, only making Theodore laugh more. To retaliate, Alvin just dropped his half of their stretcher, causing the scraps to fall to the ground. They were pretty much at the treehouse anyway, but that got the message across.

Simon was already there to greet them, sitting by the base of the tree to look over his plans. They had a lot to do, but he was confident they could get it done on time if they stuck to schedule.

"Can we take a break yet, Simon?" Theodore asked while dragging closer whatever scraps hadn't been spilled.

Simon inspected a sheet of paper momentarily before answering. "Almost. We just need to get this stuff inside so we can work on assembling it."

Alvin frowned. "You expect us to carry all this stuff way up there?"

"Not at all!" Simon declared. He grabbed a nearby vine and tugged on it, demonstrating the makeshift pulley he'd managed to install while they were gone. "Just tie one end around a batch and let physics do all the work."

* * *

><p>The rest of the day was dedicated to scraping and refining the various scraps to Simon's specifications. He said he was being lenient with the parts, but more than once he made them redo their work. If they didn't have one more search when Theodore went foraging for dinner, they probably would have run out of materials to work with.<p>

Predictably, they crashed early that night. Or that's how it seemed, at least. Theodore had slumped over a branch he was de-leafing and hugged it while he slept. Alvin fell asleep just as early, but stirred awake before it got too dark; Simon didn't stop working just because night time hit.

Alvin couldn't help but watch his brother in silence as he worked. Simon had organized a little work area at the side of the room to carve and nail various pieces together to fit his diagrams. He yawned once or twice, but didn't seem tired at all, from what Alvin could tell. That chipmunk was shockingly efficient when focussed; that would explain why he always worked in private when he tackled his bigger projects.

It was an admirable display, but Alvin eventually slumped over and let tiredness get the better of him again.

* * *

><p>The next day played out similarly to the last, except this time it was Simon that didn't sleep. Evident by the piles of scrapwork-parts, he spent the entire night assembling and crafting pieces to use. Either he really wanted to get the project done or he just lost track of time without Dave interrupting him. Needless to say, he got more noticeably worn as the day went on, but he wasn't about to break momentum yet.<p>

In the late afternoon, Simon sent his siblings on another scavenging hunt around the woods; this time for twigs, rocks, and dry leaves, which had the added benefit of being much easier to carry.

By the time they got back, Simon had already managed to put his plans into action. They'd spent the whole morning moving parts back outside of the treehouse and connecting them together, but now a basic network of admittedly crude pipeworks stood from the base of the tree to the top of its nested housing. Gutters had been placed around the roof, slanted slightly to funnel into what would have to pass as a water tank.

The result was unattractive and would probably only hold for a couple of weeks before it'd need repairing at best, but all things considered, it was a monumental achievement.

"Simon, that's amazing!" Alvin praised, looking up at it for the first time.

"Considering what I had to work with, yes," Simon patted himself on the back. "I like to think of it as proof that change can be a good thing, too. But I can't take all the credit; I couldn't have done it without my little assistant." He ruffled Theodore's hair.

"Thanks for the gratitude," Alvin responded sarcastically and crossed his arms.

"And you, Alvin," Simon continued. "As much as I hate to admit it, this was a group effort." He smiled and admired their handiwork. "It took almost two days and we're down to our last quarter, but I must say, it was worth it."

* * *

><p>Theodore squealed at a sudden crash of thunder. It got dark early that afternoon as a new storm formed around them, cutting their preparation of the 'stove' short, but it looked like Simon expected as much.<p>

Simon yawned, already in bed. "Don't worry, Theo, the storm's a good thing. By tomorrow morning, we'll actually have some water stored up." The timing couldn't be more perfect if he planned it – actually, he kind of did plan it this way. It was just sheer luck that the plan worked.

The little chipmunk whimpered a little fearfully, so Alvin threw an arm around him. "Don't worry, we'll be fine," he encouraged. "We're completely safe up here, right Simon?"

"Uh, right," Simon intentionally left out that a tree was probably the worst place they could be in a thunderstorm.

"See?" Alvin smiled at his littlest brother. "Besides, we're right here if you need us. Just go to sleep and it'll all be over before you know it," he guided over to Theodore's bed.

While Theodore undressed and got ready for bed, Alvin wandered half-blind over to his and did the same. They bid each other goodnight and settled in for a well-deserved night's sleep.

* * *

><p>Alvin stirred awake again during the night, as was quickly becoming a habit. It wasn't the excessive rain on the roof or the cold air that was keeping him up; his mind kept storing up all these thoughts in the day and let loose as soon as he let his guard down. His head was filled with inner voices bickering and raving at him.<p>

'_You're Alvin Seville! You're a celebrity, a singing sensation, a –'_

'_-little pest! Your 'father', your brothers, your friends, they'll all -'_

'_-turn you away! You're just not worth it now, it's like –'_

'_-I didn't want you anymore; I knew you were too weak…'_

_Leave me alone!_

Alvin threw his pillow over his head and tried to drown out his inner voices, but if the storm wasn't doing it, a pillow wasn't going to make much difference. He laid there for a moment, holding on tight, when he heard another sound just over all the others.

He dropped the pillow and turned to face Simon, who was asleep not too far away from him. He could barely make out his shape in the darkness – there was almost no moonlight that night – but he could hear his breathing. The gentle in and out of each breath somehow cut through everything else, and the more he focussed on it, the calmer everything else became.

Before long, all Alvin could hear was his brother's steady breathing. No storm, no voices, just that single calm rhythm. His eyes gradually closed to the sound as he gave in to that moment of peace.

* * *

><p>Alvin sat alone at a table in the schoolyard, leaning on one hand and lost in thought. He'd been like this all day; quiet and seemingly well-behaved, when really he was just going with the flow to avoid doing something stupid. His feelings weren't going away. If anything, they were getting stronger. He just felt safer around Simon lately for no reason at all, and that worried him.<p>

Simon walked over to the table and placed a cup of water in Alvin's hands. "Thanks," Alvin accepted it. He looked into it for a moment, but couldn't bring himself to drink it. He placed the cup down and groaned in frustration. He didn't want this crush; anyone else and he could handle it, but this was just too complicated.

"Alvin, are you alright?" Simon asked with concern. "You're starting to scare me…"

Alvin opened his mouth to respond, but nodded instead. He didn't want to talk about it unless he could figure it out himself.

"What's he moping about now?" Brittany walked over with Jeanette by her side. Eleanor had brought a picnic lunch to share with Theodore, so they were nowhere to be seen.

Alvin shot her an angry glare and raised from his seat. "Would you just mind your own business!" He snapped.

"Don't blame me; you're the one putting on the whole 'woe-is-me' act!" She shot back. She noticed Alvin reaching for the cup of water. "Don't you even think about it, buster!"

Alvin stopped and locked eyes with his opponent. "Fine, you're not worth it anyway! But this is your fault, you know!" He backed away from the table. "Just leave me alone!" He shouted and stormed off.

Jeanette looked straight at Brittany. "Brittany, what did you do this time?"

Brittany twitched disbelievingly. "Nothing!" She insisted, "I don't even know what that was about." She looked over at Simon, who'd fallen completely silent in the wake of the sudden argument. "Any idea what brought that up, Simon?"

"I wish I knew," he shook his head.

* * *

><p>The chipmunks and Chipettes escorted each other along the sidewalk on the way home, now that they were leaving school at the same time. Simon and Jeanette headed the group, while Brittany, Theodore and Eleanor chatted at the back. Alvin was stuck in the middle by himself. He hadn't done much talking anyway; it wasn't such a change of pace.<p>

To be fair, Alvin felt at least a little bad for snapping at Brittany, but it was bound to happen sooner or later, and it was better her than Simon. She was the safest target, but he did miss being able to talk to her about things; the whole situation's kind of gotten out of hand.

That didn't mean he had to be without conversation though. He kept his head low, but listened in on the conversation ahead of him.

"And how is it?" He could hear Jeanette say.

"I don't know. Better, I think," Simon responded. "I just can't get my head around the bad blood lately."

"Is this about what Brittany said to Alvin?" Jeanette asked. Alvin's head shot up.

Simon looked at her inquisitively, "What'd she say to Alvin?"

Jeanette opened her mouth to clarify, but was interrupted by the eavesdropping chipmunk pushing in. "Jeanette! We never get to talk. We should take a moment to catch up!" He pulled her away from Simon before either of them could object.

Suddenly separated from the rest of the group, Alvin and Jeanette walked slowly side by side. "Is something wrong?" Jeanette questioned.

"Look," Alvin started, keeping his voice low as a precaution, "Simon can't know about our fight. I was hoping you could help keep it a secret."

Jeanette fumbled with her books uncomfortably. "I don't know, Alvin…I'm not sure I can keep any more secrets."

"Come on, it's none of his business anyway!" Alvin came across a little forcefully. "Besides, what good can come from telling him?"

Jeanette thought for a moment, then nodded hesitantly. "Ok, I won't tell him." It was clear in her voice that she didn't want to comply, but Alvin must have gotten through to her.

Alvin let out a breath of relief, "Thanks."

"You really should apologize to Brittany though," she added.

The gratitude left Alvin's voice to be replaced by spite. "Fat chance, she had it coming." Jeanette sighed at the response and continued to walk alongside him, not wanting to seem rude by walking away. Alvin took notice after a corner or two. "That's all I needed to say, you can go back to Simon if you want," he dismissed her.

* * *

><p>A few more days had passed since Alvin snapped at Brittany, and since then he seemed to slowly grow vocal again. He probably just needed to vent. It was good that he was getting better, but if anything was going to set him off again, it'd be something soon.<p>

"Alvin, can we talk?" Simon asked after the classroom had cleared of students. Simon didn't want to spring anything on him, but he noticed that Alvin had been pushing this issue out of mind.

"About what?" Alvin questioned curiously. He was a little put off by need for privacy, but not nearly as uncomfortable as he would have thought. "Can it wait until we get back to the treehouse?"

"I'm afraid not." A serious look appeared on Simon's face. Alvin started to worry – this couldn't be good. "Look, I know you don't want to hear this, but I have to ask…"

"Just spit it out, Simon!"

"Today's the day we get to see Dave again. Do you think you're ready for that?"

Alvin's eyes widened, "I'm not going back there. I…I just can't!" he panicked and spun away from his brother. He remembered the way it made him feel; the memories all came at once. The crushing feeling fell back around him and choked away his air. He tried to focus on something – anything – to keep his vision from shaking, but it barely worked. This was just him remembering that place; he couldn't handle the real thing. Not again. It was hard enough the first time without all this new stuff hanging over his head too.

It wasn't even just the pain in his chest that made Alvin lock up this time. It was the shame of knowing that he couldn't get through this. He thought he could do anything when he put his mind to it, anything at all, but this was just too hard.

Alvin flinched at the feeling of a warm hand on his shoulder. "Calm down," Simon's voice came from beside him. He looked away, stubbornly trying to keep his face hidden. "If you keep bottling up the stress, you won't be of any help to anyone," Simon continued. "It's ok to be afraid, you know. That's why I'm asking."

_I'm not afraid! It's just that… when I think about that place I…well…_

"Ok, maybe I am afraid…" Alvin confessed. That didn't even make sense; it was just a building. What was there to be afraid of?

That was good enough for Simon. "Theodore and I are going to see Dave, and you should come too. It's your choice, but sometimes you just have to face your fears," he offered as advice.

Alvin let out a light groan; clearly he wasn't happy, but he was coming around. Just feeling Simon's gentle hold on his shoulder was calming him down. He really didn't want to go, but he felt better with Simon there. Maybe he could make it through another visit – it was worth a try. "Alright," Alvin nodded sadly, "I'll go."

Simon smiled and took his hand off Alvin's shoulder. He knew this wasn't going to be easy for his brother. "Take all the time you need. If we get there and you can't muster the strength to go inside, we'll understand." He figured Alvin would need an out. The last thing he wanted was to put too much pressure on him. "Just don't worry yourself over nothing, ok?"

"Ok," Alvin nodded.

* * *

><p>The prison visit went much the same way as the first. Mr. Parrish led the boys to the visiting room to meet with Dave, and then they spoke about nothing in particular beyond mutual concerns for each other. Alvin couldn't help but huddle up near the wall again, but Simon lied and said he was just sick. It was hard to tell if Dave bought it, but he didn't push the issue.<p>

The visit was more than twice as long as the last one; Alvin barely got through it without freaking out, never mind being able to speak. On their way home, the guilt sunk in. He really tried this time, but he still couldn't do it. Dave does so much for them, but he doesn't get so much as a word out his oldest boy in his time of need…it made Alvin sick. "I can't believe I let you talk me into that…" He blamed Simon.

"It was for your own good, Alvin." Simon responded. "Besides, no one forced you to come."

"You might as well have," Alvin uttered under his breath. Simon turned like he heard, but thankfully he didn't respond.

* * *

><p>Alvin thrashed awake that night, gasping for air. His heart ached so suddenly that he couldn't bear to sleep through it. It was something his thoughts said…he couldn't even remember what it was, but it hurt. He just stared into the moonlit room, wide-eyed and struggling to catch his breath.<p>

Whatever was causing this, it was getting worse. It was faint at first, starting around the trial, but it was getting alarming now. Alvin sighed through the aching and looked over at the still-sleeping figure of Simon. Any other time, he'd go to Simon about something like this. Even if he couldn't fix it, he could try to explain, run some tests, or do something at least.

Maybe this wasn't such a strange circumstance though. The crush didn't matter; if Simon could help, it had to be worth trying.

Clumsily, Alvin got out of bed and stumbled over to his nearest sibling. He dropped to the floor and leaned over Simon, held out a hand to shake him awake, then stopped.

There was that sound again. That calm rhythm of breathing that put Alvin at ease. He couldn't help but watch as Simon's chest gradually moved in the moonlight. After the abrupt awakening, this moment felt so hypnotic and surreal.

Alvin gently spread his hand over his brother's chest – to wake him, he tried to convince himself. He could feel the warmth of his body, the softness of his fine fur and the steady beating of his heart. That pulse and the gentle up-and-down of Simon's breathing made Alvin's aching melt away. As crazy as it sounds, it just felt so…real. He closed his eyes and focussed on calming rhythm, unable to tear himself away.

Simon shifted and noticed Alvin on top of him. He sat up and looked at him drowsily. "…Alvin?" Alvin pulled his hand away and just looked into his eyes. "Alvin, what's wrong?" Simon didn't even bother reaching for his glasses yet.

Butterflies built up in Alvin's stomach. This was all real, and he couldn't believe just how significant everything felt. As he stared into Simon's faded-blue eyes, he felt like didn't want help anymore. He just wanted this…whatever this was. Whether it was a crush or not, there was something there. He was sure of it. He wanted nothing more than to let Simon know what he was feeling… but the risk was just too high. He didn't want to risk changing everything; they'd been through so much together, he couldn't bear it if things went badly now.

'_Change can be a good thing, too…' _Simon's voice whispered from his memory.

_But…I'm afraid of what might happen._

'_Sometimes you just have to face your fears.'_

'_Don't worry yourself over nothing, ok?'_

Alvin could hardly breathe. Was Simon giving him advice for this the whole time?

Simon shifted to reach for his glasses, but Alvin caught his hand and stopped him. Alvin opened his mouth to speak, but there was nothing to say. Instead, he leant forward onto his brother and pressed their lips together.

Alvin kissed Simon tenderly, but purposefully. For a moment, he felt Simon's lips shift onto his and kiss back, before hesitantly pulling away.

Slowly, Alvin lowered himself back down, unable to hide a newfound smile. That was worth everything. Alvin's heart was racing; it just felt so right, and he was sure that Simon felt something too. He could feel it in his lips. In that one little moment, he knew that he made the right choice.

"A-Alvin, I…" Simon's voice quivered.

'_Yes, Simon?' _Alvin tried to speak, but the words wouldn't leave his mouth.

"…I think you should sleep outside tonight."


	5. Red Tape

_**Yikes, that's a big word count. And this is after cutting a couple of scenes. Sorry about the lateness; haven't been able to upload until now.**_

_**If the last chapter was all about Alvin and what he's going through, this chapter is Simon's turn in the spotlight. This was a hard chapter to write and, honestly, I'm kinda worried about it…so I'd especially love to hear your thoughts on this one.**_

_**Oh, speaking of which, I've enabled anonymous reviews now. I don't think it'll make much difference, but might as well.**_

* * *

><p><em>Alvin stood on a long cobble-stone road, stretching off into the distance atop a fog-ridden sea. He couldn't remember how he got there, but that didn't seem to matter; it was quiet, and it felt like he was there for a reason. He looked off into the expanse before and behind him, then began to walk.<em>

_After a single step he stopped. There was someone beside him now. Alvin turned and saw himself looking back up at him. Or it was close enough to himself; the little wide-eyed chipmunk looking back at him was much smaller than he was, but the resemblance was unmistakable._

"_Are you me?" Alvin mused, kneeling down to see his second self eye-to-eye. It smiled innocently at him and nodded. Alvin smiled back and took its little hand in his own. "Come on; let's see where this path leads."_

_Before Alvin could stand, the little chipmunk twisted and flinched as though hearing a sudden sound. It pulled away from Alvin and ran down the path alone, quickly getting obscured by the fog. Alvin stood and looked on, trying to make out the chipmunk's shape, then lost focus as a shiver coursed down his spine. He heard the sound too, just now…a loud echoing thud from behind, growling at him. His eyes were wide with dread; he didn't want to face it, but he had to, so he turned._

_The ocean behind Alvin was different now. A thick blackness spread through it like veins and corrupted its surface. The fog grew thicker and colder, chilling him from all around._

_Alvin spun back and ran down the path as fast as his legs would take him. He could still see his little self in the distance, but as the fog grew thicker it seemed to get further and further away. Alvin panicked; his heart beat seemed to chase him from behind, growing louder and louder until he could barely hear his own cries. "Wait! Don't leave me!"_

_The fog grabbed him and tightened its grasp, strangling him, crushing him…_

Alvin's eyes shot open as a splash of water sent him crashing back to reality. Simon was crouched above him with a now-empty cup in his hand.

"Enjoying your sleep?" Simon asked.

Alvin brushed the burst of water off his face. "No, I wasn't."

"Well you're welcome then," Simon's voice carried a subtle tone of resentment. "Get up and get dressed; it's time for school."He got up and went back inside, leaving his brother to get ready.

Alvin shuddered and reached for his clothes. It was freezing out on the balcony that early, but it was Simon that really came off as cold. The way he spoke didn't seem so caring anymore. It was like he couldn't stand to be near him now. It was eerie how much the change in attitude stood out.

* * *

><p>"You could have just shaken him awake, you know," Theodore pointed out as Simon gathered up his things for school.<p>

"Probably, but my way meant I didn't have to get too close to him," Simon explained.

Theodore frowned. "You guys aren't fighting again, are you?" He hated it when they fought. The one good thing that came out of this situation was that it put an end to all that. From what he could tell, at least.

Simon sighed. "I wish it were that simple." He swung a pack of school supplies over his shoulder and made his way out, bypassing Alvin completely. Without making eye contact, he slid down the ladder and started on his way. His brothers had to rush to keep up; he didn't feel like waiting around for long.

* * *

><p>Alvin tried to walk alongside his brother, but whenever he'd get close, Simon would just pick up his pace. Theodore hung back to give them some room, holding his and Alvin's books close to his chest.<p>

After another failed attempt to get close, Alvin just spoke up and hoped Simon would listen. "Simon, can we talk?" He sounded a little annoyed.

Simon groaned and refused to look back, but answered anyway. "I'm not stopping you."

"It's about, uh…" Alvin didn't want to be too specific with Theodore nearby. "Well, I wanted to let you know that there's no hard feelings for kicking me out last night." Simon nodded. "And about what I did," finally, he stopped moving. "It's no big deal, right?"

Simon snapped around and grabbed Alvin by his collar, then spun him towards the road. Alvin's feet could barely touch the sidewalk; Simon's tight grip was the only thing stopping him from falling back. "No big deal!" Simon shouted at him with anger flaring in his eyes. "This IS a big deal, Alvin! Of all the detestable, selfish things you've ever done, this one is the biggest!" He pulled Alvin's face closer to his, just to make sure the seriousness in his eyes wasn't lost on him. "You've crossed the line this time! This…this is unforgiveable." He pulled Alvin back onto his feet and pushed him away, then kept walking on ahead without him.

Alvin was trembling as he tried to keep walking; his legs felt too weak to move. Simon had never snapped at him like that before…heck, Simon had never snapped at ANYONE like that before. It was genuinely terrifying. Simon was so close to hitting him for what he'd done, and not in a bickering sort of way…Simon, of all people…

Theodore put his hand on Alvin's back, getting a flinch as a response. He was shaking and didn't look like he was moving, so Theodore pulled his arm over his shoulder to help him along. "Are you ok?" He asked while Alvin tried to recompose himself enough to walk. "I've never seen Simon that mad before."

Alvin groaned sadly and started to move forward, with Theodore as support. "I-I…" Alvin cleared his throat to stop the stuttering. "I'll be fine, Theo. Really. Simon's just…in a bad mood today, that's all."

Theodore rolled his eyes. "Really?" He responded sarcastically. "And what did you do to put him there?"

"Uhh," Alvin blushed and pulled his arm free, then started to walk ahead on his own. He turned back to Theodore, "Nothing! There doesn't have to be a reason, right? I mean…I'm sure whatever it is, it'll just sort itself out!" He lied more to himself than his brother.

"If you say so…"

"Well I do!"

Theodore didn't buy it. But he knew better than to get in the middle of his brothers' fights. Especially this time. Simon grabbing Alvin like that was shocking enough; he didn't want to get involved in whatever would cause that.

They picked up the pace to catch up to Simon, but neither of them got too close. It was pretty obvious that he wanted his space.

* * *

><p>"Uh, hello?" Brittany waved her hand between Simon and his book to get his attention. He shook his head and looked up at her, slightly dazed. "Ok, what's the deal? No book is THAT good."<p>

Simon closed the book and placed it on his lap with a sigh. "I'm sorry, Brittany, I'm just not myself right now." Since they got to school, he'd spent as much time as possible with his nose in one book or another to distract himself. He knew it wouldn't look suspicious to anyone who didn't know him, and he hoped it'd drown out those that did.

"Well, clearly," Brittany responded, then sat beside him on the ground. "Is it something you'd like to talk about?" She asked sincerely.

Simon shook his head. "No, not with you anyway," he said with no malice. "I don't mean that the way it sounds…you just wouldn't understand."

"Try me."

Simon looked at her. "I'm not just being stubborn; you really wouldn't understand. Besides, I'd really just rather be alone right now."

Brittany nodded and got back on her feet. "Just so you know, we're here for you if you need us. Just because Alvin's a jerk doesn't mean you have to suffer."

_Oh, quite the contrary…_ "I know, and I appreciate it. But I'm better off on my own for now." She smiled at him and walked away. Simon sighed and flicked back through his book. He had no clue what page he was up to, so he decided to simply start again.

* * *

><p>Alvin sat tapping his fingers at the far-corner table of the cafeteria. It was an unwritten rule that this spot was reserved for the loners of the day, which apparently was him this time. He had plenty of places he could have been instead, but he couldn't get the situation out of his mind long enough to be social with anyone.<p>

He hated this. This was too complicated for him. One kiss – one stupid kiss – and he ruined everything. How could something that meant so much to him do so much damage? He wanted to get his head straight and clear this up; anything to make things right again, but he couldn't even figure the situation out for himself.

Alvin put his hands over his head and slumped face-down on the tabletop. He just wanted someone to talk to, but everyone he turned to when he had a problem was gone. Dave was in prison, he was still fighting with Brittany, and Simon…well Simon was part of the problem, and they didn't seem to be on speaking terms anyway. For a moment he considered Miss Stone. After all, she does encourage students to come talk to her. But then he realised how uncomfortable that talk would be and dismissed it. Talking to one crush about another was bad enough without all the details.

A pain built up in his chest and he struggled to keep from crying out. He'd driven everyone who cares about him away…

* * *

><p>"Any idea why they're fighting?" Eleanor asked Theodore while they and Jeanette had a picnic lunch in the school yard. The last time they did this it was just the two of them, but it was so nice that they thought they'd include everyone this time around. Or that was the plan, anyway; Alvin and Simon were pretty adamant in turning them down.<p>

"No clue!" Theodore prepared to bite into a strawberry-jam sandwich. "They won't tell me anything."

"Do you remember them acting strange before? They seemed fine yesterday." Eleanor observed.

Theodore stopped snacking for a moment and thought back. "Well…everything was fine around bed time, but when I woke up, Simon was already in a bad mood and Alvin was sleeping outside."

"That must mean whatever it is happened at night…" Eleanor deduced.

Jeanette looked at them with concern. "I don't think it's very polite to talk about them behind their backs. I'm sure they'll talk to us when they're ready."

"Maybe they don't know they need help, so it's up to us to figure it out for them," Eleanor defended their investigating.

Brittany returned to the sheeted area with a sigh.

"Well?" Eleanor questioned.

"He's not talking," Brittany looked around with worry. "Sorry, Theodore, there's nothing I can do."

A sad look appeared on Theodore's face, so Eleanor put a comforting arm around him. "Don't worry, Theodore. They'll sort things out."

Jeanette avoided eye contact until the school bell rang a few minutes later. She really wished they'd stop prying; it could only make matters worse.

* * *

><p>"Simon! I said I was sorry, why won't you just let this go?" Alvin complained desperately from his bed.<p>

"First, you never said you were sorry," Simon corrected, trying to put his own bed together, "and second, we are way past the point of an apology!"

"Why? What makes this time so special? Surely I've done worse than this!"

"No, you haven't!" Simon threw one corner of his sheets down and jumped to his feet in frustration. "You really hurt me this time, Alvin, and no amount of apologizing is going to make this go away!"

"Hurt YOU?" Alvin's jaw dropped. How could Simon possibly be making this issue all about himself? "And you call me self-centered!"

"I don't care what you're going through!" Simon shouted angrily at his bed-ridden sibling, completely abandoning any remaining composure. "Y-you don't just do that to someone! Not to your own brother!"

Alvin backed down, anger and shame displaying themselves clearly on his face.

Simon sighed. "You know what? I'm done talking about this." He waved himself down.

"…Fine."

Simon looked at Alvin expectantly. "Well?"

"'Well' what?" Alvin was in no mood to fill in the blanks.

"I'm still not sleeping under the same roof as you. Are you going to do the right thing and move outside or not?"

Alvin crossed his arms arrogantly. "No way! You can't make me sleep out in the cold again. You're the one with the problem!"

Simon glared at him fiercely enough that Alvin barely managed to avoid flinching. He bit his lip to hold back the urge to shout and gathered up his bed.

"What do you think you're doing?" Alvin questioned as Simon carried his stuff outside.

"What's it look like?" Simon replied with considerable restraint in his tone. "If you won't sleep outside, then I will." He turned long enough to shoot Alvin one last angry glance, then kicked the door shut.

Alvin swung a fist at his pillow then threw it across the room in anger. Simon was being such a jerk! He was making this seem like it was all about him! He gets all the sympathy, everyone's so worried about poor little Simon and blaming his trouble-making big brother like he just had to be the bad guy. Well fine then! If that's the way he wants to play it, that's what he's going to get. Alvin was done feeling sorry for him, anyway!

_You stupid crush! I hate you; you ruined everything!_

* * *

><p>Theodore shook Alvin awake, ducking under his wake-up flailing. "Alvin?"<p>

"What do you want?" Alvin asked grouchily. Getting to sleep was a real chore nowadays; he wanted to make the most of any sleep he could get.

"What's a circle?"

Alvin looked to him with disbelief. "Please don't tell me you woke me up just to ask that!"

Theodore huffed. "I don't mean the shape! You kept saying it in your sleep."

"Saying...what?"

"You said 'It's a circle. Why is it still a circle?'" Theodore imitated a panicked tone. "What's still a circle?"

Alvin rubbed his head, still not entirely pulled together. "I don't know," he replied honestly. He didn't really care to find out either; it was just a dream. Suddenly a thought occurred to him and he grew alarmed. "Wait, how long have I been sleep-talking? Did I say anything else?"

Theodore shook his head and Alvin relaxed. At least, until Simon came back in from outside.

"Hi, Simon. How did you sleep?" Theodore asked.

Simon threw his sheets and pillow onto the floor and rubbed his head. "Terribly!" he complained and shot Alvin a silent accusatory glance.

"I suppose that's my fault, right?" Alvin gestured to himself. Theodore frowned and moved out of the way, knowing that there wasn't going to be any downtime before the fighting started again.

Simon nodded with his hands on his hips. "Precisely. If you just stepped outside like I asked, maybe I wouldn't be in such a bad mood right now."

Alvin stood with his clothes and started to get dressed, keeping his eyes on Simon. "Hey, it was your idea. If I slept outside, I would have been the one suffering for it."

"And you would have deserved every minute of it." Simon countered.

"So," Theodore piped in, trying to defuse the argument before it got heated. "We're working on the stove- uh, fireplace today, right?"

"I'm not working a minute with him," Alvin sniped and pulled his jersey over his head.

Simon pushed Alvin with one hand while he was blinded. "The feeling is mutual," he agreed as Alvin fell back onto his pillow.

Alvin yanked down his jersey and threw the pillow in retaliation. "What is your problem!" He shouted.

"My 'problem' is you!" Simon shouted back, leaning closer. "And I am not putting up with it today!" He turned and stormed towards the door. "I'm leaving, and I better not catch you following me!"

"Fine! Run away! See if I care!" Alvin shouted at Simon's back before he could descend down the ladder.

Ignoring Simon's orders, Theodore ran after him, leaving Alvin to pace the treehouse alone. Simon was mad, and was moving away quickly, but Theodore was determined to catch up. "Simon, wait!" he called when got close.

"What!" Simon snapped and spun around, not expecting to see Theodore on the verge of tears behind him. He took a deep breath to calm himself down. "I mean…what is it, Theodore?"

Theodore grabbed on to Simon's sleeve, and looked up at him fearfully. "Please don't run away! We need you…"

Simon sighed and looked away – those worried eyes were getting to him. "I'm not running away, Theo, don't worry. I just need to find someone to talk to, that's all."

"I hate it when you guys fight," Theodore admitted. "You're going to go work things out, right?"

"I don't know…but we'll try," Simon didn't want to give his sibling any false hope, but he was careful to avoid hurting him. He didn't think they'd be able to work through this one; this fight wasn't something small like all the others. He doubted that this was fixable at all.

Theodore seemed to hesitantly accept that answer. "When will you be back?" He asked.

"It's hard to say, but it should be before it gets dark. I think we could both do with the time apart." Simon took a deep breath. "Look after Alvin while I'm gone, ok?" Theodore nodded and let go of his sleeve, letting him continue to walk away at a less emotional pace.

Simon felt like he hated Alvin right now, but he couldn't silence that part of his conscience that told him he didn't want to stay angry forever. As much as he knew who was to blame for everything he was feeling, things weren't entirely clear in his mind. There was more to this than he was able to deduce himself; he needed help figuring it out.

* * *

><p>"Ellie, would you keep it down!" Brittany scolded, "I'm trying to do my hair. All the noise is killing my concentration."<p>

"Uh, I'm making a soufflé." Eleanor debated back, slipping off a pair of oven mitts.

"And why should I care?" The oldest sister stared at herself in a mirror to keep her brushes perfect.

"Well if a soufflé can handle the noise, I don't think your hair is going to have any trouble." Brittany made a single annoyed noise in response and moved closer to the mirror. If she didn't get the sides just right, she'd have to start all over again. She gently curved the brush along her hair then jumped at the sudden ring of the doorbell.

Brittany squealed and took a moment to mourn the last twenty minutes of her life. She couldn't go out with her hair in a mess…she'd have to start again. She threw down her brush and stamped towards the door, hurling it open. "What!" She answered crossly.

Simon flinched. He wasn't expecting such an aggressive welcome.

"Oh, it's you, Simon," Brittany cooled down almost immediately. She looked around him, "Where's the other two?"

"It's just me," Simon scratched his neck nervously. "Could I… speak with Jeanette?"

Brittany opened the door all the way to let Simon through. "Sure, come on in. She's in her room." She left him to find his own way while she got back to fixing up her hair. It was good that he was taking her up on the offer, but she had important matters of her own to attend to.

Simon knocked on the bedroom door and eased it open. "Hi, Jeanette, is this a bad time?" The scholarly Chipette laid face-down on her bed with a book in her hands, as usual.

Jeanette closed the book and sat in the center of her bed. "No, it's fine. I was just re-reading anyway." She looked at Simon and noticed a nervousness in his stance. "Do you need to talk?"

Simon sighed and closed the door behind him. "Is it that obvious?" He walked over to Jeanette's bed and took a seat on the side.

"Pretty much. Everyone's been worried about you and Alvin; it's not like you guys to fight that much." Jeanette observed.

"I think it might go a little beyond just fighting this time, I'm afraid." Simon hoped that wasn't true, but this certainly wasn't just an ordinary family squabble.

Jeanette shifted over to sit beside him. "Is it something Alvin did?" She asked, getting an averted nod in response. She waited for him to explain on his own, but when Simon stayed quiet she felt she had to ask directly. "What did he do?"

Simon laughed a little nervously. It was an awkward thing to admit, and for anyone else he'd probably push the question aside, but he was here for help, and she needed to know the details. "He, uh…he kissed me."

Jeanette looked at him blankly. "Simon, that's not funny."

Simon gave a solemn look in return. "Well good, because I didn't think so either."

There was a moment of thoughtful silence as Jeanette took the information in. "Do you know why?" She asked calmly.

"Isn't it obvious?" Simon read a look telling him to continue. "He blamed me for pushing him into seeing Dave, so he decided to get back at me. Clearly he wanted to hurt me, but as usual, he didn't think it through."

"Why didn't he want to see Dave?" Simon forgot that he hadn't explained that. Normally he'd respect Alvin's privacy with matters like that, but he didn't deserve it any more.

"Alvin doesn't handle the visits so well." Despite Simon's anger towards him, there was still a lot of concern in his explanation. "He can barely make it through the front door, and once he's in there he goes quiet and looks like he's in pain. I got him to admit that he was afraid of going and I thought that would help, but I guess I miscalculated."

Jeanette nodded along, understanding a little more about how Alvin was handling things. He seemed to block out the things that were really bothering him by acting out; Simon didn't seem to realise how open Alvin was with him by comparison. "So he just went through all that because you asked him to?" She prodded with a question.

Simon pressed his hand to his chin and thought for a moment. "I guess so…but that doesn't change anything. I was just trying to help, what he did was purely spiteful." Simon got to his feet and started pacing beside the bed, rubbing at his temples. "I just don't get it! He was doing so well, he was actually being responsible! How does that little rat go from carrying my books for me to…that! And furthermore…" He trailed off for a moment and stopped in his tracks, finding another hole in his theory. "How did he know how to hurt me?"

He looked over at Jeanette with an apologetic look in his eyes. "I'm sorry that I have to ask…and if you tell me you had nothing to do with it I'll believe you…but did you tell anyone about me?" He felt a knot in his stomach just by asking.

Jeanette shook her head slowly. "You know I wouldn't do that, Simon."

Simon sighed and sat back down beside her, leaning his head on his hands in contemplation. "How does he know, then?"

"Maybe he figured it out by himself," Jeanette offered.

For some reason, Simon's heart sank at the thought. "It's possible." He could feel tears building up over his eyes, so he pushed his glasses up with one hand. Maybe this was the point that hurt him most. "How could he figure it out then use it against me like that? I didn't think he'd understand, but I always thought that he'd at least support me. I thought he was better than this…"

Jeanette took Simon's hand in her own and met his shimmering eyes. She moved close and held him in a comforting hug. "Simon…maybe the reason things don't add up is because you're missing something," she spoke gently. Simon leaned in closer and let his tears fall through closed eyes. "Don't let yourself hate Alvin. You need to talk to him, or it'll only get more painful."

Simon leaned against her and took her words to heart. This was why he always felt he could come to Jeanette with these problems. She could actually listen to him without judging him. She was one in a billion, and she was always there for him when he needed a shoulder to cry on.

* * *

><p>Alvin sat against the back wall of the main treehouse room, staring at the dusty floor. The room felt so big and empty now that Simon wasn't there.<p>

He was mad at Simon when he left – furious even – but as time ticked on, that rage turned to regret. Simon was treating him horribly, but maybe he deserved it. Having your brother have a crush on you isn't exactly something you can just expect someone to wake up to and accept…maybe kissing him was a bad idea.

_I just wish I could take it back…_

That was a lie. Everything that followed that kiss had been a nightmare, but the moment itself…that was a different story. Alvin couldn't remember feeling that genuinely happy in a long time, even if for just a single moment. That smile when he felt Simon kiss back…he couldn't wish that memory away just because it turned out like this. Even if he loses Simon, he had to hold on to that moment.

Theodore shuffled through Simon's sketches for the renovations, trying to make sense of them with little success. He put them down on the counter, finally giving up. "Why is everything so complicated?" He complained.

Alvin frowned, "That's exactly what I was thinking."

Theodore looked over at his huddled brother and walked over to him. As concerned as he was, the moping was getting old fast. "Are you just going to sit there all day? What happened to you?"

"Would you just get off my back!" Alvin snapped.

Theodore looked hurt, then started marching away. "I was just trying to help, but fine! If you're going to be that way, I'll just go for a walk instead."

"Wait!" Alvin's cry made Theodore stop and turn. He was on his knees now, like he leapt forward to catch him. "Don't…don't leave." Alvin seemed embarrassed to have to ask for help, but it's exactly what Theodore wanted. "I don't want to be alone anymore."

Theodore smiled and walked back to his brother, hugging him and sitting by his side. "You're not alone, Alvin. I'm still here."

"Well, you know what I mean," Alvin barely clarified. "But I still don't feel like talking."

"Could you at least tell me why you're angry at Simon?" Theodore pushed.

"I'm not! He's angry at me, that's the problem!"

"Uh huh, and what did you do?"

Alvin groaned in frustration. "See, that's just it! Why am I always to blame when these things happen? It's like I've been typecast as the troublemaker in my own life!"

"Uh, Alvin…" Theodore was hesitant to correct him, but did it anyway, "you do make a lot of trouble."

"Ok," Alvin conceded, "but I can't help it if things backfire every once in a while. At least my heart's in the right place. That has to count for something, right?" He looked at Theodore for some sign that he agreed, but couldn't make out his expression. Alvin sighed, "Well it should. It's not like I'm trying to drive people away."

Theodore's face lit up. "Ah hah! So that's what's bothering you!"

"What?" Alvin was confused.

"You're all sad because you think you're driving Simon away, right?" Theodore questioned proudly.

Alvin pondered that for a moment, then turned away. "I said I don't want to talk about it." Theodore's smile vanished, not that Alvin could see it.

That idea wasn't far off. Alvin hated having Simon turning on him, but the last thing he wanted was for Simon to disappear. He couldn't understand how he kept doing this to people. His whole life people have been leaving him – usually because he just had to put himself out there - but his brothers were always there through all of it. This time he was losing them too, and he didn't think he could get through it.

The sound of sniffling drew Theodore attention. He leaned over to see tears in his brother's eyes. "Alvin, are you crying?" He asked disbelievingly.

Alvin sniffed and wiped his eyes on his sleeve, doing his best to be subtle. "Me? No, of course not! It's just…allergies, that's it." He strung together an excuse.

Theodore ignored the explanation and hugged Alvin tight. "It's ok, Alvin," he tried to comfort through the awkwardness Alvin was feeling. "You don't need to worry about Simon. He'll be back."

"What makes you so sure?" Alvin asked, still trying to keep from facing Theodore directly. It wasn't like him to cry, but he'd taken the freeze-out alternative as far as it would go.

"Because he said he would," Theodore said plainly. "Also, he has run away before, you know. And so have you…and me. We all have, but we always end up back together."

Theodore ended the hug and started to walk away, leaving Alvin to watch him curiously. "You know what always makes me feel better when I feel like crying?" The cheery chipmunk started to unpack some saved stashes of food. "Dessert!"

Alvin smiled faintly and used the wall to pull himself to his feet. "Thanks, Teddy." It had been a long time since he called Theodore that - not since Theodore gave the name to his stuffed bear. But for some reason it just came out naturally; perhaps Alvin just needed to regress back to before things got so complicated.

And enjoy a home-made dessert.

* * *

><p>It was early morning when Simon made his way back to the treehouse, led by the unexpected aroma of a hot meal. He was sure he was just imagining it, but when he made his way inside, his brothers were helping themselves to a toasted breakfast.<p>

"Hey, Simon! You're missing breakfast," Theodore warned him with a grin, then handed him a toasted sandwich they'd set aside.

Simon took in his hand, confused. "But- I don't understand…how did you-" He looked around the room and spotted the tiny fireplace that served as their stove; doused, but still giving off waves of heat. He looked at Alvin crossly. "Alvin, was this your doing?" he gestured to the fireplace.

"Well we tried to wait for you, but you didn't come home," Alvin explained pleasantly. "Pretty neat, huh?" He was in a better mood today, but he was trying to avoid setting Simon off.

Simon looked shocked. "Alvin, you can't just set up a fireplace without knowing what you're doing! We're in a wooden treehouse, in the middle of the woods, and you're literally playing with fire!"

"Relax, Simon!" Alvin laughed. "We followed your plans, and as you can see, nothing bad happened."

"That's not the point!" Simon walked over and prodded Alvin with his finger. "Something COULD have happened, and it would have been your fault!"

Alvin furrowed his brow; the prod set him off. He was trying to stay in a good mood, but Simon just had to keep pushing. "Well maybe we wouldn't have to do it ourselves if you didn't abandon us!"

"I didn't!" Simon eyes widened for a moment at the accusation. "I…I fell asleep, that's all. Miss Miller wouldn't let me leave while it was still dark out." He shook his head and snapped back. "That doesn't matter! What matters is that I can't leave you for one night without worrying that you're going to burn the whole forest down!"

Simon tried to prod Alvin again, but this time Alvin caught it. He gasped and pulled back away from his younger brother, feeling that same rush of nerves as the last time he grabbed his hand.

Simon had an exasperated look in his eyes as the argument suddenly shifted. "Alvin! I'm not diseased you know! What is wrong with you?"

Anger and hurt built up behind Alvin's words. "If you hate me so much, why don't you just leave already!"

"Maybe I should!" Simon leaned towards Alvin aggressively.

"Go on then!" Alvin stubbornly returned the stance.

"Stop it!" Theodore's scream broke the clash. "That's enough! All you two do is fight about nothing; don't you even care about our family anymore?"

The fighting twins broke eye contact and backed down.

"That's better!" Theodore lectured them. He was running on pure emotional momentum, so he wanted to get to the point fast before he lost the chance. "You can't keep fighting like this; it's not right. You're hurting everyone who cares about you, including each other…and me." He looked down sadly.

Simon breathed sadly. "Theo…you just wouldn't understand. This might not be something we can work out."

"Well you have to try!" Little tears formed over Theodore's eyes as he snapped back to his brothers. "You both want to work things out, so it's worth it, right? If you didn't, you wouldn't still be worried about him and Alvin wouldn't have been crying about losing you."

"You were really crying?" Simon asked with concern. Alvin shrugged, but a blush gave him away. He adjusted his glasses, trying to keep any emotion in his eyes from showing. Everything was so chaotic and unclear; maybe it was worth investigating to at least figure things out. "Ok, Theodore…you win," Simon conceded. "I'm willing to give it a shot if Alvin is."

Alvin nodded reluctantly.

"Ok then," Simon decided. "Uh, Theodore, we're going to need a bit of privacy for this. Maybe you could see if you can find anything else out there to eat."

Theodore nodded and left his brothers to sort things out. He didn't need anything else he could find in the woods; what he found already he had more than enough of, and everything else he could just get from Eleanor, but he was just glad that he had a chance at a happy family again.

When he was sure Theodore was out of earshot, Alvin broke the silence. "Theodore to the rescue, huh?"

"It seems that way," Simon agreed, dreading the conversation that was about to come up. "I didn't realise our fighting was hurting him too."

"How could you? You weren't even here."

Simon shot Alvin a cautionary glare. "Watch it, Alvin. I'm not having this conversation if you're just going to keep sniping at me."

Alvin huffed. "Fine, let's just get this over with."

Simon decided to get things started, since it was obvious that Alvin wouldn't. "For starters, I'm sorry that I made you go to see Dave."

Alvin looked back at him open-mouthed. "You think that's what this is about?"

"Isn't it?"

"Of course not!" Alvin tried not to yell, but that was just ridiculous!

"Well then enlighten me, because I can't think of anything else that could have set you off." Simon crossed his arms in a gesture of authority. "What could I have possibly done to deserve what you did?"

"Simon, I didn't do it to hurt you, you know?" Alvin stood down and fiddled with his hands. He felt uncomfortably guilty, but now he didn't even know what he was meant to feel guilty for. Simon didn't get it…that should have been a relief, but things had gone too far by now to rely on denial as an out. He was backed into a corner that he thought he'd already gotten out of.

"Oh, then why did you do it?" Simon challenged, then when silence crept up he grew concerned. "Wait…Alvin, why did you do it?"

Alvin shrugged.

"No, that's not an answer. What is it?"

Alvin's chest started to ache. He turned away and hid his face in the shade under his cap, like it would hide him from his brother. He wanted to lie, but he was in too deep for that now. "I think I might like you…in that way." He spelt out slowly.

_He…what?_ Simon did a mental double-take. That didn't fit his hypothesis at all. Alvin must be lying. "Is that really the truth?"

"I wouldn't lie about something like that," sincerity was dripping from the response. Alvin couldn't help but turn to face his brother and look for any sign that he didn't hate him.

It was Simon's turn to face away in shame. That made sense, now that he thought about it; all the little pieces of the puzzle fit together with that revelation. That mystery was solved, but if this is the solution, it would mean that he was the bad guy the whole time. He thought Alvin was attacking him for how he felt, but it was the other way around. "I'm sorry, Alvin. I didn't know. I really thought-"

"You thought I did it to hurt you. Yeah, I get it." Alvin finished for him. "But I still don't understand how."

"I…I thought you knew."

"…knew what?" Alvin looked up at him curiously.

Simon sighed and tried to drop the subject. "I'm just sorry, alright? It's not something I want to talk about."

Alvin looked cross for a moment and stepped towards Simon. "No, that's not alright! You've been treating me like trash for days, Simon, and I deserve to know why." Simon shook his head. "If you're really sorry, you'll tell me," Alvin pushed.

Simon took a deep, labored breath. It was only fair that Alvin know after he let his secret out, but this really wasn't a topic he wanted to talk to him about. "Ok, you're right," he gave in. "See, Alvin, I thought you knew about me and the way I am…"

After a moment of awkward silence as Simon stared into the air in thought, Alvin urged him on. "And?"

"And that way is…" Simon couldn't find the right words to explain it, so he tried to put it in a way that Alvin might understand. "You know how Theodore likes one girl, and you have a reputation for liking many girls? Well…I'm not like that." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously, barely forcing himself to put words together. "You might say that I have outside interests."

Alvin put his hands on his hips, curious but wishing Simon would get to the point. "And they are?"

Simon rolled his hand and raised his voice, hoping the words would come to him. "S-see, the thing is…I get those feelings too, but just…not for girls.

"What else is there?" Alvin smirked, missing the hint.

"There's boys, Alvin." Simon hated that he had to spell it out for him.

"Ohhh," Alvin's eyes widened as it clicked. He pulled a disgusted face. "Gross."

Simon smirked, "This coming from a chipmunk who just confessed his love for his brother."

"Hey, that's different! I don't like boys, it's just you that I have a crush on..." Alvin blushed.

An awkward silence filled the air, neither brother able to look the other in the eye. Simon sat down, his energy running low. He felt so drained – that wasn't something he thought he'd have to bring up for a long time. "Please tell me you're ok with this Alvin," he felt ready to cry if he was shot down.

"I don't know what to say," Alvin confessed, joining him on the ground. "But…I am ok with it. You're my brother, Simon; I wouldn't stop loving you because of something like that."

Simon smiled and had to fight back the water in his eyes. He felt like a dark cloud had finally left him; all this time he thought Alvin was against him, but he couldn't have been more wrong. "I'm sorry, Alvin…I guess we've been fighting for no reason."

Alvin looked up and the two faced each other. "So, you were angry because you thought I figured that out, and kissed you to make you feel bad about it?"

Simon nodded. "That's the simple way of putting it, yes." It was a lot more complicated than that, but that was the gist.

"And it had nothing to do with it being me that kissed you?"

Simon turned red. "Well I- I didn't know that's why you did it, so how could it?"

Alvin looked into Simon's eyes, not wanting to miss his reaction. "What about now?"

Simon's mouth hung open with worry. After all this time focusing on his own problem, he'd made Alvin's an afterthought. It was quickly coming back full-force. "Alvin, why are you asking me this?"

It took a moment for Alvin to think of a response. "Well, if you're ok with it, I thought that maybe you'd want to give us a chance…together, I mean." Simon seemed to stall, so Alvin continued. "Face it, you could do a lot a worse."

"I'm sorry, Alvin, but that's out of the question. I just don't have those kinds of feelings for you," Simon tried to be strict, but came off more gently than he wanted.

Alvin's heart skipped a beat. He was so close! He almost had things back to normal, only better, but he had to push for that last inch. He needed that feeling back, and he needed the longing to go away.

As sounds of Theodore's ascent drew closer, Alvin's voice turned down into a forceful whisper. "Please, Simon! It's killing me having to do this alone. I need you…At least consider it; you owe me!"

Simon saw the desperation in his brother's eyes and nodded. "Ok, if it means that much to you, I'll think about it. But don't get your hopes up," he whispered back as Theodore's entrance ended their reconciliation.

* * *

><p>"Well?" Alvin whispered across to Simon while they were getting ready for bed.<p>

"Well what?" Simon taunted, knowing exactly what Alvin was asking. It was the same thing he'd been asking every moment Theodore stepped out of earshot.

"Have you made up your mind?"

Simon nonchalantly tidied his little bedside stack of books. "Nope, and if you keep asking, it's only going to take longer. I can't just turn off my brain like you can; I actually have to think about this rationally."

Alvin threw himself back against his pillow and crossed his arms. "Well hurry up! It's the waiting I can't stand!"

"I'm not sure you even want me, you just want what you can't have," Simon joked.

Alvin pouted, "That's not-" He flinched at the sound of Theodore rolling over in his sleep, worried for a moment that he'd overheard them. Luckily, that didn't seem to be the case.

They stopped fighting after their moment of revelations, much to Theodore's joy, but they still weren't acting the same way around each other as they used to. There was a bit of an awkward air between Alvin and Simon for now, but they both had a lot to recover from.

"Uh, Alvin…" Simon started awkwardly, "…if you wouldn't mind…"

Alvin sighed and gathered up his bed to move it outside. They both had lingering issues; he could understand why Simon would still be uncomfortable sleeping around him.

"Stop," Simon halted him half way to the door. Alvin turned and looked back at him. "You can stay. I just wanted to see if you'd do it."

Grumbling, Alvin threw his sheets back down and started to remake his bed. _You could have just asked!_

* * *

><p><em>He tried to run, but every muscle in his body was being held back by some unseen force, like chains tied to every limb. He struggled to fight against them, but every step he took was harder than the last, until he was trapped in a boundless fog over a black-laced sea.<em>

_The beating got closer to him, piercing into his ears so he couldn't hear himself think. It crept up faster and louder until it towered behind him. Ba-dum! Ba-dum! Ba-dum!_

_And then silence. Alvin tried to scream, but nothing came out. His senses were dead; all he could see was the thick white of the fog and the creeping blackness around him. The heartbeat had stopped; he couldn't breathe._

Alvin shot up from his bed, clutching at his chest and panting. It was that stupid dream again! At least it drowned out the voices, but they didn't make him feel like he was dying when they woke him up. That dream was just scary – he was worried that he actually did stop breathing.

After another few deep breathes, Alvin managed to calm himself down. He just needed something to get him back to sleep and take his mind off that fear, and thankfully that something was back in the room with him. He could already hear Simon's breathing without focusing on it. He turned to watch his brother, then froze. Simon was looking right at him.

"Alvin," Simon spoke softly towards him, "how long have you been having nightmares?"

Alvin looked down in thought, at least a little embarrassed. "Not long. And not 'nightmares', it's just one," he explained.

"You know, Sigmund Freud believed that dreams have hidden messages from our subconscious. Especially when they're recurring," Simon couldn't help but impart a bit of scholarly wisdom to his brother, even if he knew he wouldn't take it in. "Can you tell me about it, or is it…something about me?"

Alvin blinked at the darkness, trying to visualize what he dreamt. It didn't seem so frightening with Simon there. "Ok, so I'm walking down a path, and I see me there, only it's not me, it's like a little me," Alvin started to illustrate.

"Uh huh," Simon pushed him to continue.

"So I try to take its hand so we can go down the path together, but he hears something and runs away."

"What does he hear?"

"I don't know at first, but then I hear it too. It's like a loud beating noise coming from behind us."

"What kind of beating noise? Like a drum?"

"No, more like a heartbeat. Well, it's my heartbeat…I think. I don't want to look at it, but something always makes me look back, and then things start falling apart."

"Falling apart how? What do you see?"

"I don't see anything, there's a big fog in my way. But I know it's there, and then it starts chasing me and making everything it touches turn all…black and evil." Alvin started to get carried away, adding a dramatic flair his storytelling. "So then I run, as fast as my little legs will take me! But it's not enough, it catches me! It STRANGLES me! I can't breathe! And then it…stops."

"What do you mean, 'it stops?"

"It just…stops!" He couldn't think of a clearer way of putting it. "The beating stops, I can't move, and then I wake up and feel like I've been strangled." He couldn't help but make a strangling gesture with his hands.

Simon thought to himself for a moment, putting the different elements of the story together. "You know, your dreams aren't very subtle." It sounded almost like a criticism coming from him.

"So you've figured it out then?" Alvin turned to him and asked.

"Alvin, you did listen to yourself when you told me that story, right?" Alvin nodded slowly. "And you didn't notice? What you just told me is that in your dream, you're stuck in a haze and you're running from your own heart because you're afraid it'll corrupt you. Metaphors don't get much more obvious than that." He waited for Alvin to catch up.

"That's it!" Alvin proclaimed with a little too much excitement. He slapped his hands over his mouth, worried that he might have woken Theodore, but his littlest brother didn't even stir at the sound. Another thought occurred and Alvin chuckled quietly. "So I guess it WAS a dream about you after all!"

Simon didn't want to respond to that. He pulled his sheets over himself and yawned. "Goodnight, Alvin." That dream only made the decision harder. Alvin wasn't clever enough for that to have been planned out; it sounded like whatever was going on with him was pretty deeply ingrained by now. It was a little surprising that he missed it.

"Goodnight," Alvin lay back down and rolled over, but Simon wasn't done.

"Can I ask you something? Now that I've helped you clear that up, do you still want us to be together?"

Alvin nodded, momentarily forgetting that Simon couldn't see it. "Yep," he answered once he realised.

Simon sighed. This wasn't going to be an easy choice to make.

* * *

><p>The next day was the start of another school week, which Simon was endlessly grateful for. Alvin wanted an answer, but the situation was too complicated to ponder over for so long. With school in the way, he was able to distract himself – it was only in the breaks that he felt himself reminded of what he was meant to be thinking about.<p>

To the outsider perspective, it must have seemed like Alvin and Simon were still fighting, only not as heated. They barely spoke and avoided each other whenever the opportunity was there, which wasn't much different to how they acted before. This time it wasn't about hurting each other, though; this time, they just didn't want to act out of line and make things harder for one another. It was out of consideration that they avoided each other, not conflict.

As the day came to a close, the chipmunks and Chipettes assembled at the school gates. Simon's head hung low; he knew he was running out of time with this, and it wasn't fair to Alvin to keep him waiting. "You guys go on ahead, I'm going to stay back a little longer," he instructed the group.

Jeanette moved over to him with worry. "Are you sure? I can stay if you want some company."

"Thanks," Simon smiled, "but this is something I need to work out on my own." Jeanette smiled back at him, then slowly rejoined the departing group.

Simon met Alvin's concerned gaze then turned to walk back into school grounds.

* * *

><p>With a sigh, Simon dropped his bag beside him and took a seat under the stone monument of Thomas Edison; the school's namesake and Simon's life-long idol. Beneath that statue was as close to a 'happy place' as Simon had, and it was where he always seemed to retreat to when he thought he had to hide from people he hurt. Ironically, it was also the first place people would look for him, but they'd always know why he was avoiding them if he turned up there.<p>

Simon looked down at his feet. "Tom, I have a problem," he spoke sadly to the monument, hoping somehow it'd give him the answers he needed. "I've been wracking my brain over this all day, but I can't seem to find the answer."

He looked up at the stone Edison's face. "I know exactly what you'd say. You'd say 'What you are will show in what you do' and ask me to figure out what kind of person I want to be. To be honest, I'm not even sure anymore.

"I want to help Alvin; I can figure out that much. Whatever he's feeling is real enough, even if it's completely wrong from a biological standpoint. I'm not sure that even bothers him…honestly, I don't think it matters to me either. Don't get me wrong, Tom, I know why the rules are there, I just don't think it's such an issue to us specifically."

Simon slumped and held his head in one hand, still turned to talk to the statue. "It'd be easy to just pretend to give in and let him work out his feelings, but I don't want to lead him on when I don't feel the same way. I admit, I did feel something when he kissed me, but that was only until I realised what was going on…it would be irresponsible to wager everything on something that uncertain."

Edison seemed to look down on the chipmunk judgmentally. "Oh, don't give me that look," Simon retaliated. "I've had little feelings like that before, and they never go anywhere. Still, Alvin really has been helping me through all this…I've barely even thought about everything else since he stepped up. From the sounds of it, Alvin needs me just as much as I need him. But if I take his offer, that'll leave a mark on both our reputations forever; we might never live that down, not even to ourselves. Something like that doesn't just go away. If I say no, it could break him…or at the very least, we could both be left even weaker than we started out. I don't want that either. Argh!" Simon groaned and rubbed his eyes.

"How is there no right answer to this? It's like no matter what I choose, things are going to be different between us." He let his eyes wander around the tiled floor for a moment in contemplation. He couldn't make this decision, no matter how much he tried to rationalize it. There was no rational answer.

Simon reached into his pocket and retrieved his last remaining quarter. "I guess it's as you said, Tom. There is no expedient to which a man will not go to avoid the labour of thinking. Well I tried, I really did, but this is the only way I can make this decision."

The weary chipmunk held the coin in one hand, watching as it eclipsed the last of the afternoon Sun. He wasn't one to believe in lucky coins, but it was all he had left. "Heads; I explain to Alvin why it's a bad idea and hope that with enough therapy I can help him through it. We both keep our reputations, and maybe things will get close to normal over time. I'll still be there for him, but that's as far as it goes. Tails…" Simon swallowed. "Tails; I give Alvin a chance. I risk hurting him and it's unlikely things will ever go back to normal between us…but maybe we'll have each other to get through it."

Simon took a deep breath and closed his eyes, then flicked the coin into the air.

* * *

><p>Alvin and Simon laid in their beds, unable and unwilling to fall asleep. Every so often they'd look over to Theodore, hoping for some sure sign that he'd drifted off.<p>

Finally satisfied that his youngest brother was asleep, Alvin spun around to face Simon. "So, Simon, have you-" Simon raised a finger in a gesture of silence and slowly raised from bed, walking over to the bedroom door with his clothes in hand.

Alvin took one last cautionary look at Theodore, then got up and joined his brother inside. He closed the door as securely as he could – the upper hinge was all but broken, but the door could still move. The bedroom was the one room they hadn't worked on yet so it was still empty beyond things that needed throwing out, but it was private and open enough that they could talk without having to go outside.

Simon pulled the tatters of a curtain down from the window and used the fabric to brush away enough dust to let the moon give them some light to see by.

Alvin stood by, waiting for Simon to speak.

"Before I say anything, I want to make sure you know how crazy this is," he started, keeping the volume low.

Alvin nodded awkwardly. "Yeah, I know. But since when haven't things been crazy?"

Simon moved closer so he wouldn't have to repeat himself. "As you know, I've been thinking about what you said. Well, I've come to a conclusion."

"And?" Alvin swallowed.

"I'll admit that I really did need you before, and you did come through for me. I can tell that you need me now, so I want to be there for you." Simon paused for a moment to collect his thoughts. "We need each other right now, Alvin. I don't know if I have feelings for you or not, but neither of us can get through this alone. If that means getting through it together, then that's what I want to do."

Alvin's face lit up. "So, that's a yes?"

Simon nodded with a smile, "Yes, Alvin. As much as it shames me to say it, I did feel something that night. After this whole experience, I'm starting to think that maybe I should at least keep an open mind."

Alvin couldn't help but grin. "Well, if you want to make things official, I can't think of a better way to kick things off," he hinted.

"I think I can do that," Simon smiled nervously.

The two chipmunks moved closer to each other, Simon resting his hand on Alvin's shoulder. "I'm sorry for how I've been treating you…" Simon added quietly. He leaned in slowly to deliver a kiss, but hesitated and had to pull away. He couldn't help but blush; he didn't have the nerve to just dive in like that, as much as he wanted to.

Alvin laughed quietly and followed Simon back in response; pressing their lips together for the kiss he almost got away with. Immediately he was hit by that same feeling as that night; his heart raced and drowned out all the fighting that came before. He could feel Simon's timid return on his lips. That feeling…it was back, and it was real.

Simon felt it too and was relieved to let a wave of doubt wash away. He still couldn't tell if he had real feelings for his brother, but this was something special all on its own. This was how he could make it all up to Alvin, but as much as he tried to deny it, he needed this too.

Simon closed his eyes. _'Lucky coin', what a ridiculous idea… If it really were lucky, it wouldn't have come up Heads._


	6. Reversible Error  Part One

_**I'm sorry about how late this is. Life has decided to bog me down as much as possible with bad weather, double work-hours, and social stuff…haven't had a lot of time or energy left for writing (or sleeping!). Anyway, I'm still a while off finishing this chapter, but rather than wait another week or two I've decided to split it into two parts. I'd still consider it the one chapter though.**_

_**Since I don't want to break the flow, there won't be an author's note before the next part, so I'll say this here: the next chapter (not part 2) is one I actually expect to be long. It's also the second-last chapter of this story. Consider this an early warning that it's bound to take longer than usual to write.**_

_**So in the meantime, feel free to question/rant at me over twitter (LawlessSquirrel). Hopefully you enjoy part 1 of this chapter…I'll have part 2 out as soon as I can.**_

* * *

><p>Slowly, Simon let himself awake from what turned out to be a surprisingly deep sleep. He could hear the soft sound of the wind in the trees and the rustling of whatever birds happened to be congregating in the branches for a morning chatter. After everything that had happened, he didn't expect this morning, least of all, to feel so serene. With a content smile, he reached for his glasses and opened his eyes.<p>

Alvin was crouched over him with a cup of water in his hand. Simon looked at him, confused, taking a moment to make the connection. "You better not be doing what I think you're doing…" He cautioned, remembering that on the last morning after a kiss he'd been in that position himself.

Alvin grinned mischievously. "What do you take me for, Si? I wouldn't think of doing anything like that!"

"Alvin, put the cup down," Simon held out a hand defensively. Alvin rolled his eyes and placed the cup on the ground beside them. "And don't call me 'Si'," he added once the threat was gone.

"Oh come on, **Si**, why not? Everybody needs a nickname," Alvin insisted.

"Because, as you may recall, 'Sy' is the man responsible for treating Dave like music is slave-labour. I'd rather not have that hanging over my head."

"Oh, right," Alvin chuckled nervously in defeat. Sy Heaves had been their producer since the very first day of their career. He was the reason Dave still had a job at all and for all the money that came with it, but he was also an angry, selfish man who clearly saw them as potential payments, not people. Alvin never had much trouble with him – no more than anyone else he crossed, at least - but Simon always seemed to resent the man.

Simon turned and noticed Theodore holding a pan over the fireplace, preparing whatever it was that they would have for breakfast. That was strange; that would mean that he was the last one to wake up, but it didn't seem to be late. "How long was I asleep?" He asked.

Theodore poured batter into the pan, then turned to his brothers. "Actually, you're right on time. Alvin just got up early."

"Oh, really?" Simon gave Alvin a suspicious glance.

Alvin smiled. "I guess I just had a good night." He held out a hand to help Simon up, which he absentmindedly accepted.

Simon stood and got dressed, leaving Alvin to help Theodore with breakfast. He couldn't help but smile at them; he couldn't tell if they both seemed happier now or if it was just his good mood clouding his judgement, but this morning just felt brighter than all the others so far. He knew it couldn't last, but one breakfast like this with his brothers was worth waiting for.

Last night, Simon told Alvin that they could be together, and he meant it. They sealed the deal with a kiss; the connection that they felt in that moment was undeniable, as much as Simon would like to downplay it. Still, it couldn't be a normal relationship…it just couldn't. Things were going to be complicated.

"I hope you realise why I'm agreeing to this," he'd told Alvin. "This can't be a 'forever' thing. This is just for as long we both need each other, understood?" Alvin seemed to agree. Truth be told, they both figured that was the only way to handle the situation. They both wanted this – that much was clear – but what they wanted more was to believe that things could just go back to the way they were once this was all over, and they couldn't do that if they let this go on. They were happy before, and they would be again, they just had to make sure that the past would still be able to take them back.

Simon walked over to his cooking brothers and accepted the first plate of freshly-made pancakes. He didn't even question where Theodore was getting all this stuff from, he was just happy to have it. It did bring one thought to mind though.

With each chipmunk holding their share of breakfast, they sat in a circle on the treehouse floor and ate to the ambient sounds of morning. "I meant to ask," Simon looked to Theodore with a pancake in hand, "why does Eleanor have Teddy in her room?" It's something he noticed when he spent the night at the Miller house over the weekend, but that curiosity was drowned out by everything else.

"Oh!" Theodore smiled widely. "I forgot to tell you! Ellie saw the vans taking away our stuff, so she snuck in at night and got Teddy for me."

"Snuck in?" Alvin questioned.

"Uh huh," Theodore nodded. "She said they boarded up the broken window, so she had to unlock one around back to get inside."

Simon smirked. "You hear that, Alvin? She 'unlocked' the window, presumably without breaking it in the process."

"I don't believe it!" Alvin was sceptical. "How does she know how to unlock a window from the outside?"

Theodore shrugged. "Maybe it's just something she learned before they found a home."

Simon made a mental note to ask about the Chipettes' past when this was all over. There was probably a lot of little stuff they didn't know about them. "She is definitely a crafty one."

"She's a criminal, that's what she is!" Alvin pouted.

"And you're a vandal," Simon pointed at him. Alvin started to object, but drew a blank, getting a laugh out of Simon in response. "Just finish your breakfast," Simon ordered, but couldn't get the smile off his face. He missed mornings like this.

* * *

><p>On their way to school, Simon made sure to bring Alvin ahead of Theodore for a brief private talk. "Alvin, I need to talk to you," Simon kept his voice low.<p>

"About…us?" Alvin looked up at him, keeping a steady pace by his side.

"Precisely." Simon met his gaze. "I think I may have found a flaw in our arrangement. People really seemed to notice when we started fighting, and they could tell it was something big…I don't think they're going to drop it just because we've stopped."

Alvin nodded. "Ok, so you're saying it's going to seem weird if we stop fighting without explaining it?"

"That's my concern."

"Then we just have to tell them we worked things out, they don't have to know everything."

Simon shook his head. "I don't think that'll work. They'll have questions, and if we worked things out, it'd be suspicious for us to still keep the issues secret. Besides, Jeanette already knows –" Simon stopped and froze, another issue suddenly occurring to him.

Alvin turned and gave his brother a worried look, urging him to keep moving ahead of Theodore. "She already knows…what?"

Simon continued walking and adjusted his glasses awkwardly. "I, uh…I may have already mentioned to her that you kissed me."

"You what!" Alvin's worry turned to horror. Simon shushed him, noticing Theodore suddenly snap to attention from behind. Alvin dropped his voice down to a frantic whisper. "How could you tell her something like that? What if she told Brittany? I'll be ruined!"

Simon tried to smile. "I wouldn't worry about that. She wouldn't tell Brittany – she's not like that – but it still might end up being a problem."

Alvin wasn't really listening, he was too busy panicking and pulling at his hair. Jeanette knew he kissed his brother? Why would Simon tell her something like that! What is she going to think of him now? She doesn't know what he's going through; she couldn't possibly –

"Uh, Alvin?"

Alvin snapped back to attention. "What? I was listening."

"No, you weren't…and you're a bad liar," Simon pointed out with a grin. "As I was saying: if we want to keep this between us, we need to avoid raising suspicion. I believe that the best way to do that would be to just pretend we never made up."

That drew Alvin back. "Pretend we're still fighting, got ya." This was going to be fun.

"My only concern is Theodore. I don't want to make things harder on him, but I don't see how we have much choice." Simon had to resist the urge to peer back at their trailing brother.

"Well it's better than just telling him the truth, isn't it?"

"_Touché_," Simon was content with that reasoning. He didn't know that their fighting before was so hard on their little sibling when it was real; he felt bad knowing that they might put him through that again without meaning to. Still, the alternative could only make things worse.

On the bright side, this might give Alvin a guilt-free chance to get even. Simon didn't like having things so one-sided.

* * *

><p>Mock-fighting turned out to be quite a fun little secret game for the two chipmunks. Throughout the start of the school day, they'd fling insults at each other and share dirty looks, holding back the urge to laugh at how the display that felt so entirely fake to them managed to throw off even their closest friends.<p>

"What are you looking at, Four-Eyes?" Alvin taunted, knowing full well that glasses weren't even close to being a sensitive issue for Simon.

"Fashion advice from a chipmunk that can't even put his hat on straight; how absurd!" Simon taunted back, knowing how insignificant the insult really was.

"You're lucky there's so many witnesses around or I'd pounce you right here!" Alvin put on an angry face, which Simon returned with a great deal of effort. It was hard for both of them to avoid laughing at their little in-joke.

Alvin and Simon sat at opposite ends of a table for lunch, Theodore between them. Despite Theodore's ability to cook for them, Brittany was still supplying them with a small daily lunch of her own which kept the two groups together for most of the lunch period – Jeanette being an exception, who had taken to working in the library during the breaks.

Brittany groaned and rolled her eyes. "Ugh! I can't believe you two are still fighting! Whatever it is, just get over it already."

"You're one to talk!" Alvin bounced back at her, accidently turning from his fake fight back into a real one. "When was the last time you just 'got over' something?"

Brittany glared. "I'm not talking about me, Alvin!"

"Really? Well I suppose everyone has to grow up sometime." Alvin rose from his seat and shrugged smugly. Brittany quickly followed suit to keep at eye level.

Eleanor slumped onto a hand and narrowed her eyes. "Great, it's this fight again…" she complained, tired of aimless display.

"Yep, looks like it," Simon agreed with the same tired tone.

Brittany placed her hands on her hips and leant closer to her opponent. "I'm not the one that has to let go of anything, anyway! You're the one that needs to apologize."

"Me? Apologize to you? You've gotta be kidding me!" Alvin snatched up his cup of water. "You're still getting off easy!"

Brittany eyed the cup. "What are you gonna do, Seville? Going to be a big baby and throw water at me? You're the one who has to grow up!"

Simon rolled his eyes, apparently in unison with Eleanor across from him. "As you as tired of this as I am?" He asked her.

"Uh huh."

"What could possibly have started this fight, anyway?"

Alvin pulled back his arm, completely ready to give Brittany what she deserved, but that question broke his focus. He had to think fast, and did the first thing that came to mind. He panicked and changed course; thrusting his arm out at Simon.

A suddenly splash of water struck Simon in the side of the head, almost knocking his glasses away. The blow dazed him for a second before he could start to brush away the water soaking his clothes. "Alvin!" He scolded seriously, shooting his focus to the side.

Alvin flinched, as though just realizing what was going on. His eyes widened in guilt and he backed off from both fights. Obeying the very next instinct, he turned and ran.

* * *

><p>Alvin paced the empty hall at the front of the school, knowing that Simon had followed him. He overreacted – he panicked – but what else could he do?<p>

Simon walked up behind him, dripping with water, even if just barely.

"You don't have to lecture me," Alvin jumped in first, keeping his back to his brother. "I know I went too far." Simon laughed, making Alvin spin around.

"Don't worry, you didn't really. You just caught me by surprise," Simon smiled.

"You're not angry then?" Alvin just wanted to make sure.

"Why should I be? As far as I'm concerned, this just makes us even."His reassuring smile turned to a sly grin as he thought back over the incident. "You're not the only one who thought I was angry, you know."

Alvin stood proudly. "Who would have thought that fighting could be so much fun?"

"And who would have thought we'd be so good at it?"

"Well, we have had a lot of practice," Alvin eyed his brother with a mutual grin.

The echo of footsteps sounded down the hall, drawing closer to the boys. They both glanced over at the corner knowingly, then looked back to each other. "Sounds like we've been followed," Simon's expression was unchanged. "They're probably expecting to find us fighting."

"Well, we wouldn't want to disappoint them." Alvin stepped forward and pushed his brother back with an open hand. "Right, Four-Eyes?"

Simon barely stumbled, reacting by pushing Alvin two-fold. "Oh, you think you can take me, little shrew?" Both brothers crouched into an aggressive stance, waiting for the footsteps to pass the corner.

At the first step into the hall, the two pounced each other and brawled as their years of bickering had taught them. They couldn't see how they looked, but they were certain that their grapples and shoves were indistinguishable from the real thing, beyond the lack of force behind them. It was a play-fight, plain and simple, but knowing that it looked real was secretly exhilarating until the two were pulled apart.

They separated and looked up at the interloper, expecting to see a sibling or friend, but instead found themselves towered over by a plainly cross teacher who heard the commotion.

"Right! That's enough, boys!" He scolded them and pulled them apart by the collars. "I don't know what this is about, but this is not acceptable behavior!"

Simon's eyes filled with worry looking up the teacher. "W-we weren't really fighting, sir, we were just having some fun!" He feigned a smile through the sudden panic.

The teacher shook his head quickly. "Oh no, I know a fight when I see one! I won't have brawling in my halls. Maybe a visit to the principal's office will teach you to behave." He stepped behind them and started to push them back in the direction of the office.

"Oh, come on, have some compassion!" Alvin tried to push back but his feet just slid on and off of the floor uselessly. "You don't know what you're doing!"

"Insults won't help your case, young man." The teacher wouldn't budge.

The school bell rang on their way past the main entrance, giving them just enough time to be spotted by Theodore and the two Chipettes as they headed in for class. Concerned looks bounced between the two groups when they parted ways. In a sense, the plan had worked – this cemented the idea that Alvin and Simon were still fighting.

* * *

><p>The two boys slowly followed the empty halls back towards their classroom, neither saying a word. How were they going to explain this to the others?<p>

Miss Milliken always seemed to have her students' best interests at heart, but she was true to her word and was typically overcautious when it came to risk-management. It wasn't even a real fight, but it was enough to force her hand when it came to following regulations – she had no choice but to remove the chipmunks from the school.

"It's that stupid teacher's fault!" Alvin accused against the silence. "He could have just let Miss Milliken drop it!"

Simon shook his head sadly. "You can't blame him, Alvin. He was just doing his job."His eyes wandered over the halls and the decorations littering the walls, feeling like it could be the last time he would see this place from the inside. He couldn't even blame Alvin for this one; after all, Alvin was the one that got them to stay in the first place. "It's my fault this happened…I should have considered this before I suggested anything."

The sadness in his voice was obvious, but Alvin could tell that he was holding back. Honestly, he was surprised that Simon didn't just blame him for what happened…he was sure that the others were going to. Still, he didn't want his brother to blame himself either; it was clear that the thought was killing him, even if he was trying to hide it. It was too bad that Alvin was no good at being comforting; all he could do was make sure Simon knew he was on his side.

Alvin moved infront of his brother and brought their slow walk to a halt. "Come on, Simon," he turned to face him. "This is just one more little problem; it's nothing we can't handle. I can even take the blame if that'll make you feel better."

The offer surprised Simon. He knew by now that if anything could get under Alvin's skin, it was getting blamed for something he didn't do. "I can't ask you to do that. I know that stuff bothers you…that wouldn't be fair," he turned the offer down.

"You know they're going to blame me anyway, right?"

Simon shrugged. "Probably, but the point is that I don't and I'm not about to let you take the fall."

Alvin lowered his gaze and smiled. That was so like Simon to try and do the right thing even if it worked against him. He had a habit of making things harder on himself because he just had to be the responsible one. Alvin always wondered if Simon actually enjoyed being the 'good child' or if he was just pulled into it time after time. The middle chipmunk was never quite clear with his feelings, but he was always ready to step up anyway.

That and his inability to throw his brothers to the wolves were just some of the things Alvin had learned to love about Simon.

They paused outside the classroom door. Simon reached out to the handle with a groan, but Alvin shot over it first. "Leave it to me," Alvin encouraged with a sudden confidence.

"Alvin, I don't think that's such a –" Simon tried to object, but Alvin had already pushed open the door and stepped inside.

Miss Stone looked over from her desk at the latecomers. The rest of the class was busy working the standard post-lunch exercises and didn't pay much attention. "Hello, boys," she greeted them. "How nice of you to join us," she veiled accusing them of lateness. Alvin walked across the room and over towards Theodore and the two Chipettes, leaving Simon standing by the doorway. Miss Stone faced Simon, concerned. "Simon? Is something wrong?"

He nodded weakly. "You could say that."

"What!" Brittany's reaction drew the attention of the class. "Nice try, Alvin, but I'm not buying it."

"I'm telling you, Miss Milliken wants to see you in her office! Why would I make that up?" The two could turn anything into an argument by now.

"I don't know, but I don't trust you. You're up to something, I know it." She crossed her arms defiantly.

Alvin groaned.

"Brittany, please…" Simon piped in from the doorway.

Brittany sighed and gathered up her things. "Fine, but this better not be a trick."

"It's not," Alvin barely held back a tone of frustration.

Theodore and Eleanor followed suit, gathering up their own belongings to meet outside. Once everyone was out the door, Simon took a last look inside. "Goodbye, Miss Stone," he excused them all with finality and closed the door.

* * *

><p>Alvin and Simon sat on the chairs just outside the Principal's Office, painfully awaiting the end of the meeting. They'd already had the talk and were given the verdict; all that was left was to discuss it with the others, although Jeanette would have to get the news on her own.<p>

"This is such a nightmare," Simon slouched in his chair.

Alvin swung his feet impatiently, looking to the side to keep an eye on his brother. Honestly, he wasn't too distressed about being kicked out of school. It's not like he enjoyed it anyway, and it wasn't going to affect his career, but he still felt bad for Simon – and the others, to a lesser degree. They would be mad, obviously, but Simon would actually be hurt by this; that's not something Alvin wanted. "Are you going to be alright?" Alvin asked.

Simon looked at him, then turned away before answering. "I don't know." Something about the way he spoke made it clear that there was more he wasn't saying.

Alvin took notice. "You're hiding something..." He noted. "What aren't you saying?"

"It's not important," Simon tried to brush off the question, but could tell by look on Alvin's face that he wasn't going to get away with it. "But since you're obviously just going to keep asking until I give in: I was just thinking that I felt worse about this the first time around, which is curious."

"So you ARE going to be alright then?"

Simon shook his head. "I really don't know. I still…I really don't like this. But with that said," he continued, now looking at his sibling with mild embarrassment, "I think…well, I think that just knowing you're here for me helps."

Alvin looked back at him and smiled. There was very little that Simon could say that would make him feel happier in that moment. Hearing that his brother needed him was exactly what he hoped for.

Alvin stared beyond Simon's glasses and into his eyes. He didn't know how this was supposed to work, but the moment felt right, so he leant forward into a kiss.

Simon lingered against the kiss for a moment longer than he should have, eyelids feeling heavy, but he managed to push Alvin away as soon as he remembered where they were. "What are you-"

"Alvin?" The familiar voice of Jeanette sent both brothers' eyes wide. This was exactly what Simon was afraid would happen. "Alvin, you leave Simon alone!" She came off as forcefully as she could manage.

Evident by the books in her hands, Jeanette had come straight from the library. She was spending a lot of time there lately; apparently she even managed to miss the school bell after lunch.

The two brothers had snapped away from each other in embarrassment. Alvin rubbed the back of his head and stared at the ground, hoping to hide the crimson burning in his cheeks. "Yikes…" he commented in understatement. He was mortified at being caught like that. It all felt so natural with just the two of them, but as soon as Jeanette chanced on the scene he couldn't help but feel ashamed; like it was a terrible thing he was doing, and something that he'd never be able to live down. He was stuck on that thought and couldn't manage to break away long enough to react.

Simon swallowed, catching his breath. "Uh, Alvin…" His nervous brother looked up at him. "I think you should go away now."

Alvin nodded but kept his head low. "Uh, right. Good idea!" He hopped off the chair and walked down the hall towards nowhere in particular, doing his best to hide his face from their intruder.

Once the little chipmunk made his retreat, Jeanette turned her shock to Simon. "How could he do that to you again?" She questioned aggressively, then pulled back and grew more sombre. "And in a public place too…Simon, I think it might be time to tell someone."

"No…" Simon tried to defuse the anger. Clearly Jeanette had misread the situation – not surprising, all things considered. He could still run damage control, then, but he couldn't let her settle on any ideas that might come back to haunt them. Alvin especially. "No, don't do that."

"But why not?" It seemed like Simon's good nature was blinding his judgement. "He knows it hurt you, but he did it again anyway." Jeanette seemed more concerned for Simon than anything. "It's not right."

Simon started to recompose himself, but still found it difficult to maintain eye contact. He fidgeted slightly as he tried to explain. "He didn't do it to hurt me, Jeanette. He doesn't mean it that way."

"Oh," Jeanette said contently before thinking about the response. "Uh, maybe you should explain what's going on."

If he were talking to anyone else, Simon probably wouldn't continue. But this was Jeanette…he didn't have to tell her everything, but if he wasn't honest with her, she'd know. "I told Alvin about me." He faced his eyes to hers in sincerity.

"I see…" Jeanette took a few casual steps closer to Simon, taking the seat that Alvin had just left. "How did he take it?"

"Pretty well, actually," Simon smiled slightly. "He's doing his best to be supportive, but he still doesn't really understand it."

"That's kinda obvious," Jeanette smiled back at him, trying not to flash back to the scene in much detail. "Then why did he kiss you if he knew?" She asked, trying to figure the situation out.

"Because…he's an idiot." That was the truest answer Simon could give without exposing too much. He sighed, considering their circumstances. "I guess the way he was putting things together, it just seemed like a way he could try to make me feel better."

Jeanette shook her head in confusion. "Simon, that doesn't make a lot of sense."

Simon laughed. "I never said it did! But it does bring me back to my original point: Alvin's an idiot."

Jeanette nodded slowly. She wasn't entirely satisfied with that answer, but Simon knew his brother better than she did. As long as no one was getting hurt anymore, that was good enough for now. "You two are ok then?" She made sure to clarify.

Simon nodded thoughtfully. "We're making progress." He smiled at her. _Although this certainly didn't help things._

Jeanette stepped forward and gave Simon a friendly hug. It was a bizarre thing to happen, but at least it seemed there was progress in the right direction. Pondering over the conversation in her head, she let go and stepped back, noticing something amiss. "Wait, make you feel better about what? What's going on?"

"Oh, right." Simon's smile faded away. "The reason you're here…well, it's not good news." Two conversations he wasn't ready to have back-to-back…and to think this day had started out so well.


	7. Reversible Error Part Two

It was barely into the afternoon when the six started their walks home. Things had turned out pretty much as expected; after Simon explained their expulsion to Jeanette, they went to collect Alvin from the bathroom to meet back up as a group. It took some swaying, but eventually he came along and faced the predictable onslaught of accusations from the others. For the most part he seemed to shrug it off – or at least bear through it – but his discomfort around Jeanette was obvious to anyone who thought to look for it.

Even walking home beside her and his brother, Alvin avoided anything beyond peripheral eye contact.

"…right, Alvin?" Simon asked, but his brother heard none of it.

"Huh?" Alvin was so focussed on ignoring Jeanette that he couldn't help but block almost everything else out as collateral.

Jeanette hugged her books and looked down sadly. It seemed like she made things worse by jumping to conclusions. Simon noticed her gesture and did his best to help. "You freezing us out isn't exactly helping, you know," he came across as at least a little irritated.

"I'm not freezing you out!" Alvin lied transparently.

"Alvin," Jeanette's faint voice picked up. "Simon did explain that you weren't trying to do anything wrong." Alvin cringed a little, wondering how much detail Simon went into. "Would it help if I said I was sorry?"

"Oh, you better not!" Brittany interrupted from behind. She didn't know the exact context of the situation – they'd been pretty vague on specifics – so as far as she knew they were discussing the school situation. Still, the thought of anyone apologizing to Alvin at this point seemed ridiculous.

Jeanette looked over her shoulder at the trailing group. "It's rude to eavesdrop, Brittany," she pointed out.

"What? Me, eavesdropping?" Brittany feigned hurt. "What do you take me for? I just overheard because you were talking so loud."

That was unlikely. They weren't paying too much attention to keeping quiet, but none of them had the drive to speak loudly at that moment.

Eleanor cleared her throat to get Brittany's attention. "I guess you wouldn't mind if we gave them a little more space then, right?"

Brittany rolled her eyes. "Ok, fine." The trailing group slowed the pace to let the others get further ahead.

"How are you holding up?" Eleanor asked Theodore, who'd recently taken to walking with them instead of his feuding brothers.

It took a moment for the youngest to respond. He kept his eyes on his brothers as they got that slight bit further away. "I'll be alright, it was only school," he sighed.

"I mean about them," Eleanor pointed to the boys just in time to see Alvin shout something incomprehensible to his side. "It doesn't look like they're getting any better."

Theodore just blinked away without answering.

"Poor Theodore…" Eleanor gave him a walking hug.

Even Brittany couldn't help but feel a little pity as she watched the little chipmunk. "You know, Theodore, we're here if you need us."

Eleanor nodded. "She's right, and you can come over any time you want."

"No thanks," Theodore declined. "I wouldn't want to make Brittany mad."

Brittany shot into focus. "What! What makes you think I'd be mad?"

"Well you did turn them away in the first place, Brit." Eleanor explained. "They probably wouldn't be in this situation at all if not for you."

Brittany pouted and pretended it didn't bother her.

"Actually…" Eleanor continued, "Alvin did say that something was all your fault right before they started fighting…"

"Hey!" Brittany fired back before the thought could be taken any further. "Don't try to pin this on me! Whatever happened is between them. I've just been trying to help."

"Not Alvin," Eleanor corrected. That wasn't entirely true, but Brittany was sure putting a lot of effort into making sure Alvin wasn't getting it easy, even enough to offset everything else she tried to do to help. "I'm not trying to make you the bad guy, but you can see why it might look that way."

A faint remorse seemed to strike Brittany's expression. "I didn't want to make things worse for you guys," she spoke softly to Theodore. "You're alright, Theodore. I'm not going to get mad if you need our help."

Theodore just nodded in response, still preoccupied by concern for Alvin and Simon. Every big fight seemed worse than the last, although this latest one would be hard to top. He got a little shimmer of hope that morning, but as the day wore on, it seemed like that's all it was.

* * *

><p>"I thought you said you didn't blame me!" Alvin fired at Simon from across the main treehouse room.<p>

"I don't blame you for that, but think about what else you did," Simon retorted with equal anger. "That one was all your fault!"

"Oh come on! I'm not psychic, Simon; how could I have known what would happen?"

"By using your brain for once! Surely even you can manage to stop and think some of the time."

"Don't you talk to me like that!"

"I wouldn't have to if you could just figure this stuff out for yourself!"

Theodore threw his pillow over his head to muffle the arguing. Ever since they got home, Alvin and Simon had been shouting at each other. He thought he'd fixed this, or at least managed to help, but nothing he did made any difference. They were still stuck arguing, only now they didn't have school to give them time off. He could have cried at that moment, but it was more important to focus on drowning out the fight.

_Please stop fighting…_ Theodore's mind begged. _You never used to fight like this. Can't we just go back to how it was? I miss being a family. I miss Dave. Why do you guys have to do this?_

* * *

><p>Theodore sprung up in bed, suddenly awake and breathing heavily. It was early in the morning – not much more than the usual for him, but early enough that the Sun had barely broken through the night. He was having trouble sleeping with the bad dreams he'd been having. They weren't nightmares, and he wasn't afraid of them, but all night he'd find himself towered over by his brothers, ignored as they fought endlessly and forced to stand and watch. It was exhausting!<p>

Even in his dreams he did his best to fix things, but it didn't work there either. He was invisible to them, and when he wasn't it was because they turned their anger to him instead.

But back in the light of day they listened to him. They weren't always mad…or at least they didn't always show it. Here they were still his brothers and they all still cared for each other, even if he couldn't do anything to help them. Even here where he could be heard, he was completely powerless.

Trying to look over at his brothers only brought up a whimper. They were always there to protect him when he needed their help. Alvin would always stand up for him, and Simon would be there to give advice, but now they were too busy with their own quarrelling to notice their little brother was struggling. He could barely stomach knowing that the minute they wake up they'll be back to fighting and there'd be nothing he could do to stop them. That happened so much that it was just how life was now.

That wasn't the way Theodore wanted it. He couldn't just sit by and watch as his family continued to fall apart, unable to change anything, so he did the only thing his body would let him. He wiped his eyes, put on his clothes, and went out the door.

* * *

><p>Simon yawned awake to the blurred sight of Alvin pacing the floor. He put on his glasses, expecting to be greeted, but Alvin didn't seem to take notice. "…Alvin?"<p>

Alvin jumped, startled by the voice, then stopped his pacing with a familiar chuckle that bordered pleasant and worrisome. "Oh, uh, good morning," he greeted from the foot of the Simon's bed.

"What time is it?" Simon asked, noticing something amiss. Alvin smirked at the question. "Yes, alright, I heard what I said. Did I sleep in, or are you just up early?"

"You slept in," Alvin informed him.

Simon looked around, noticing their little brother's absence. "Then where's Theodore?"

"I don't know…"

"What do you mean 'you don't know'? He was here when you woke up, wasn't he?" Alvin shook his head, cueing Simon to throw off the sheet and start getting dressed. "So he's been missing this whole time? Why didn't you wake me?" Simon seemed erratic at the news.

"I thought that he might be out getting food or something," Alvin confessed, worry sticking to his words. "I didn't want to do something too impulsive…"

Simon sighed. Alvin was really trying, so he couldn't hold this against him. Besides, he probably would have done the same thing. "Come on," he led Alvin out the door and over the ladder, "we'd better go find him."

Shortly after touching down on the forest ground, the duo wandered outward in search of any trace of their baby brother. "Do you see him?" Alvin asked pointlessly.

"When I see him, I'll let you know," Simon rolled his eyes.

"What do you think happened to him?"

Simon didn't even need to pause to form a theory. "He probably ran off because we were fighting too much."He shrugged.

"Maybe…" Alvin half-agreed, but worry was starting to mess with his head. "But what if he's been kidnapped, or attacked by a wild animal, or…" Alvin's eyes shot open. "What if he's…!"

Simon slapped him – not hard, just enough to snap him out of it. "Don't be ridiculous, I'm sure Theodore's fine."

"How do you know?" Alvin rubbed his cheek.

"Just take a look around you," Simon gestured to the surrounding area. "What do you see?"Alvin looked around, not seeing the point. "Well?"

"Trees, plants, dirt-"

Simon nodded, "Yes, that's it."

Alvin frowned. "Ok, wise-guy, how does dirt help us find our brother?"

Simon pointed to a set of recent tracks trodden into the ground, "That would be a good start. As you can plainly see, those tracks match Theodore's shoes; if he were kidnapped, there would be someone else's footprints, and if an animal got him, there'd be NO footprints.

"Obviously he left and started walking towards the city. I'd say that narrows it down considerably," he concluded.

"Simon, you're a genius!" Alvin praised after he put together his brother's reasoning.

"Well, obviously," Simon grinned. "You can just think of me as the world's greatest detective."

"Oh, so you're Batman now?" Alvin crossed his arms sarcastically. "I guess that makes me Robin?"

"Actually, I was thinking more 'Sherlock Holmes'," Simon corrected. He started to follow the tracks, waving to Alvin to follow. "Come along, Watson."

* * *

><p>"One tablespoon of sugar," Eleanor ordered.<p>

"One tablespoon of sugar!" Theodore repeated and handed her the ingredient.

"One cup of flour."

"One cup of flour!"

"Two eggs."

"Two eggs!" Theodore passed Eleanor the pair of eggs and watched as she cracked them against each other, spilling the insides into the now-full bowl of batter.

She started to mix the formula together. "Two tablespoons of cocoa."

"Two tablespoons of…uh…" Theodore looked around in vein.

"No cocoa?" Theodore shook his head. Eleanor handed him the bowl and long wooden spoon and hopped down from the counter-side stool. "Ok, you mix this. I'll see what I can find."

Theodore happily complied and started stirring, leaving Eleanor to find that illusive last ingredient. It only took a few shelves of searching before she returned and added cocoa to the batter, but Theodore continued to do his part without complaint. It was no chore to him; he'd be happy to do anything that involved cooking, and being in a proper kitchen made that so much easier.

Eleanor didn't mind. She let out a breath of contentment and smiled as the chipmunk put all his focus on the little task. It was strange to think that it was just that morning that he'd turned up looking like he was about to break. Honestly, she was amazed that his brothers didn't think to do anything about it earlier. Wasn't it obvious that he needed help? _Whatever…he's doing better now, and that's what matters._

"I think that looks just about done," Theodore declared. "Right, Teddy?" He held the bowl out to the stuffed bear on the counter. "Teddy agrees."

"Teddy can agree all he wants; he's still not getting any if he doesn't help out," Eleanor joked and took the bowl.

"He'd just end up all sticky," Theodore explained, snatching Teddy into his arms.

Eleanor giggled and read through the rest of the recipe. The doorbell rang, but neither of them turned from the task at hand to answer.

"Don't strain yourselves, I'll get it!" Brittany turned her nose up at the pair as she walked past.

On the other side of the door, Alvin and Simon stood waiting for a response. There weren't many places that Theodore would run to, so it was a pretty safe bet that he'd wind up here. If nothing else, they might get some idea of where they could turn if they were wrong.

"So we're agreed then?" Simon clarified in the brief moments before the door would open.

Alvin nodded. "Yep. Any idea what are we're gonna tell him?" Simon had no answer. They knew they'd have to talk to Theodore about this, maybe even tell him that they weren't really fighting…not all the time, anyway. They couldn't give him specifics, of course, and it wouldn't help matters to start showing that they were keeping secrets, but what else could they do? Obviously the last plan wasn't working out so well. They needed to all be there for each other, somehow.

Brittany pulled open the door. "Oh, well look who finally decided to show up," she eyed the pair.

Alvin rolled his eyes to distract himself from the obvious argument-bait. "Yeah, hello, Brittany... is Theodore with you guys?"

"Yeah, he's here," Brittany seemed almost bothered by the lack of a fight. It had pretty much turned into a habit for the two now.

"Is that them?" Eleanor called from across the room and started stamping over to the door. "I want to have a word with these two!"

Alvin tried to greet her, despite her sudden sternness. "Hi-"

"Oh don't you even start," she began to lecture. "Who do you guys think you are, leaving poor Theodore all alone!"

Alvin snapped to attention. "Hey, we didn't leave him alone! We came as soon as we could!"

"What?" Eleanor shook off the confusion. Obviously they weren't getting it. "Ugh! Come on, there's more to it than that. You guys aren't the only ones with problems, you know. It wouldn't hurt you to look out for your little brother once in a while!" She threw her hands on her hips and focussed on Alvin. Even Brittany had to take a slow step back to stay out of her way.

"Well?" She continued. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I…uh…" Alvin was completely blindsided. Brittany he'd expect this from, but Eleanor just seemed to come out of nowhere. He had no idea how to argue with her.

"Inspired," Eleanor taunted. "Seriously, even when he's with you he's all alone. Why do you have to be so selfish?"

Something about that hit Alvin hard. It was subtle, barely a twitch, but Simon noticed it. Alvin wouldn't even try to defend himself.

He was reluctant, but for some reason that subtle hurt compelled Simon to jump to his brother's aid. He shifted Alvin aside and matched Eleanor's demeanour. "You can't blame Alvin for this, it's not like…" he stopped, noticing Theodore standing in the background. Either he wasn't paying attention to them or he just wasn't reacting, but there was a happy smile on his face as he leant over to check on whatever it was they were preparing in the kitchen, Teddy underarm. He actually looked happy, and not in a fleeting kind of way. In that moment, Simon felt the epiphany creep up on him. "You're right."

"What?" Alvin and Eleanor exclaimed in unison.

Simon dropped his shoulders, but remained composed. "It's not Alvin, though. We've both been selfish. We haven't been there for Theodore…right now, he needs someone who will be, like you." He rubbed the back of his head and smiled at Eleanor, then over at Theodore as their eyes suddenly met.

Theodore's face lit up even more as he ran along to the door to greet his siblings. "Hey, Simon! Hey, Alvin!"

"Hey, Theo," Simon responded gently. Alvin didn't get the opportunity.

Eleanor waved her hands. "Wait, time out. What are you trying to say?"

Simon elaborated. "I think he's better off here, if that's not going to be a problem."

Alvin thumbed his chin, considering the option. It did seem like it could work, but he was surprised that Simon would suggest it. "Huh, that could work…" He pondered aloud. Of course, it depended entirely on if they'd go for it.

Brittany raised a finger in objection. "Uh, we've been over this! Coming over for a visit is one thing, but we're not running a hotel here!"

"Brittany," Eleanor drew her focus. "Do you really want to turn them away again?"

"And it might not be for long," Simon added.

Brittany groaned. It was so like Eleanor to bring that up again. "Fine! Theodore can stay, and you can stay, but no way am I letting Alvin stay." She put her foot down.

"Brittany!"Eleanor scolded.

"Nah uh! That's where I draw the line!" She leant in and glared at Alvin.

"Fine by me!" Alvin mirrored her stance, effortlessly transitioning into his fighting mood. "I wouldn't want to stay with you anyway!"

"Uh, thanks for the offer…" Simon gently pulled Alvin away from the little standoff, "But I think Alvin and I will be fine by ourselves."

"You're sure about that?" Eleanor raised a brow.

Simon nodded and explained. "We still have our own stuff to work through, and I guess it's better if we do it away from Theodore. Besides, he's better off somewhere a little less…volatile at this point."He peered into the doorway at their youngest sibling. "What do you say, Theodore? Sound like a good idea?"

Theodore hesitated for a moment open-mouthed, apparently reluctant to turn his brothers away. Finally, he made up his mind and adopted a joyous expression. "Yeah, it's going to be fun! If you guys don't mind, I mean…"

"Then it's decided," Simon concluded.

"Well, this was unexpected," Eleanor shrugged, not at all displeased. She pretty much agreed with the reasoning…being around them was not doing Theodore any good. "Do you guys want to come in or something?" She gestured inwards.

Alvin opened his mouth to accept, but Simon casually tugged him back and spoke for both of them. "Oh no, don't worry about us. We have a lot of reconciling to do. There's no time like the present!" He waved goodbye to Theodore and turned to leave with Alvin. "Bye, Theo."

"Later, Theo!" Alvin called back.

Brittany slowly inched the door closed, watching the pair depart with Theodore by her side. _Strange, they don't look like they're fighting._ _Must be a brother thing._

* * *

><p>"Care to explain that?" Alvin prodded along their walk. "I thought you said we were going to get him back."<p>

"We were. I just didn't consider that a better option might come up." Simon thought over his reasoning. The revelation hit him fast so he put together the conclusion in just as much haste, but it still seemed to hold up to analysis. He had lingering doubts, but it at least seemed like a good idea…as wrong as it felt in practice.

The further they got away from the Miller house, the more it stood out in Simon's mind that this would be the first time ever that they would be apart from their baby brother. In a way, it felt like abandoning him, but that wasn't it at all.

"What made you change your mind?" Alvin finally asked.

Simon was waiting for that question, so the answer was firmly ingrained in his thoughts. He'd been going over it in his head to make sure he made the right call. "It was simple, as soon as I noticed it. Theodore can actually be happy around Eleanor and the others, but we were just making him feel worse. I don't know about you, but at first I didn't notice anything was wrong…I thought he was coping well."

"You weren't the only one," Alvin admitted. He still felt bad about missing that, especially when Theodore was catching all the signs he was giving off.

"Anyway, Eleanor's been looking out for him. She went to get Teddy for him, she knew when he needed help, and she's standing up for him. Face it, she's the one he needs right now," Simon left it at that, but that's not where his thoughts stopped. _She's been doing everything for him that you've been doing for me. _The final piece in that puzzle came when he stepped up for Alvin and realized that was exactly what Eleanor was doing for Theodore. What those two had seemed to be the same thing he had with Alvin. Whatever that was, if it was working for Theodore, maybe it was something that just worked.

Or that was his theory at least. More importantly, still along that train of thought, there were still issues to attend to. It was just a matter of waiting for Alvin to catch on.

"Wait…this isn't the way back," Alvin stopped and looked around. "Where are we going, anyway?"

There it was.

Simon sighed and backtracked to meet his brother. "Alvin, do you know what day it is?"

"…Thursday?" Alvin guessed.

"Which happens to be when we can go to visit Dave," Simon finished for him.

Alvin groaned. Simon could let go of that other idea, but this one he stuck to. "Simon, please! Last time was bad enough…" He averted his gaze, unable to face his brother. He didn't want to complain about it anymore. Simon knew he didn't want to go; he hoped that would be enough.

Simon gave Alvin a sympathetic look and put an arm around his shoulders, looking down at him despite his refusal to reciprocate. "I get that it's hard, but it's just something you have to do."

Alvin shook Simon off and snapped in his direction. "You don't get it! You don't know what that feels like. You get to just walk in there and just act normal because it's no big deal for you."

"And why can't you?"

"Because…" Alvin found himself looking up at Simon's eyes as he answered. "It just hurts, that's all…"

Simon took a breath, eyes fixed to Alvin's. He wasn't lying; for some reason, it did hurt him, but Simon already knew that. He still didn't know why, though. Whatever it was, Alvin had to let it out, for his own good.

"Alvin…you haven't been yourself since it happened," Simon recalled their first day after Dave was sent away. "Whatever's wrong, you have to face it while you still can. If you don't get it out of your system, you'll be stuck with it forever."

"You sound like you're speaking from experience," neither of them broke eye contact.

"Maybe I am," Simon seemed to caution. "Look, you can do this, but if you turn your back on it now, that's it. I need you to trust that I'm trying to help you."

Alvin wanted to say no, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He could still feel where Simon had held him…that caring touch just seemed to linger. Why did that make it so hard to turn him down? Alvin sighed, doing his best to ignore the dread building up in his chest. "Fine, if it means that much to you, I'll do it."

* * *

><p>"I'll go grab your father," Mr Parrish left the two in the room alone.<p>

Just getting there wasn't so hard, but Alvin still couldn't manage any kind of composure beyond just not breaking down. He stared at the floor and fidgeted with his hands, unmoving from the spot in the middle of the tiny room.

"Alvin, are you going to be alright?" Simon was growing concerned.

Alvin tried to respond but choked on the words. His heart was racing and pounding at his chest. _'No, I'm not! Get me out of here!'_ The pressure was unbearable. It was taking everything he had to keep the aching down; there was no way he'd be able to get through this!

Simon just watched him closely. As panicked as Alvin seemed to be, he was standing completely still beyond toying with his hands. In a strange way, it looked like he was putting a lot of effort into composing himself. It more-or-less confirmed what Simon thought – clearly Alvin was holding everything in – but it put into question whether or not he was doing the right thing by bringing him here with just the two of them. He had good intentions…but would Alvin see it that way if this didn't work out? _Maybe this wasn't such a good idea…_

The door pushed open, letting Dave and Mr Parrish step inside. Dave immediately moved to his seat at the corner of the room, Mr Parrish standing at the side wall. Alvin continued to stand in place, still unable to move.

"Hi, guys," Dave sat and smiled at them.

Alvin opened his mouth to respond and immediately closed it again. Why was this so hard?

_Come on, what's wrong with you?_ He mentally shouted at himself. _You're THE Alvin Seville, for crying out loud! You're in an empty room, Dave's just sitting there, and you can't say 'hi'? You're being crazy! Just say it, already!_

Alvin pulled at his sleeves behind his back and forced his eyes to stop from squeezing shut. _I…I can't do it. I'm not ready for this. How can he even stand to look at me anymore? I've ruined his life! There's nothing I can say to make that right. I only make things worse…_

There was a moment of silence in the room as Alvin struggled against his thoughts. He was trapped; he wasn't going to be able to do it, then he felt Simon's hand take his from behind his back. Alvin blinked his eyes fully open and tightened a grip over Simon's. Dave couldn't see it, and if Mr Parrish could he was keeping quiet, but that little connection took every bit of focus Alvin had. It reminded him that as terrible as he'd made things, Simon was still there for him.

'_Come on, you can do this,' _for some reason that thought came in Simon's voice.

Alvin took a long breath, then ended it with a pleasant smile at his dad. "Hi, Dave," he finally managed to speak.

* * *

><p>Outside of the prison entrance, Alvin seemed distant. He stood ahead of Simon with his back turned, breathing deeply.<p>

Simon followed him out but was hesitant to interrupt him. Alvin actually managed to talk, so surely that was a step forward. Still, that was obviously hard for him, and it wasn't clear that anything was really accomplished.

"Alvin?" Simon cautiously moved closer, now able to see Alvin quivering.

Alvin slowly turned, unable to hide the water welling in his eyes. He couldn't keep it down anymore, as much as he wished he could. After a few unstable steps forward, he lunged into Simon and tugged the front of his clothes. He pressed tightly against his brother and sobbed into the fabric; every tear he held back was suddenly bursting through with full force.

Alvin couldn't explain it, he couldn't talk about it, he couldn't even think about it. He just hung on like his life depended on it as every bit of pressure built up in that place finally found a way out.

Simon was stunned. Alvin didn't cry; he lashed out and he complained, but crying left him too vulnerable. As he felt his brother shaking and pressing against him, Simon couldn't help feeling relieved. Alvin needed to let this out, and he was happy to be the one that could be there for him. Simon wrapped his arms around his brother and patted his back while he wept.

A few long minutes passed with the two together before Alvin started to loosen his grip. He sniffed and wiped away the last lingering tears with his sleeve. As Simon let him go, he took a half-step back, fidgeting uncomfortably. "I-if you tell anyone about this…I'll deny it…" He warned with a slight quiver sticking to his voice.

Simon almost laughed – it was somewhat endearing that Alvin would try to save face. "I wouldn't expect anything less," he smiled. "Feeling any better?"

Alvin rubbed one eye, half expecting to start up again. Thankfully, that didn't seem to happen. "Yeah, I guess so." He seemed uncharacteristically timid after that moment of weakness. "Can we go home now?" He asked.

Simon nodded. "Of course we can." He hugged Alvin closer with one arm and started to lead the way home.

* * *

><p>'<em>You're hurting everyone who cares about you...'<em>

'_...what do you think you're doing? Something could have happened, it –'_

'_- wouldn't hurt you to look out for your little brother! He's all alone...'_

'_...it would have been your fault...'_

'_...it's all your fault!'_

Alvin stirred awake again, to no surprise at all. The voices wouldn't give him a good night sleep, that'd be too easy for him. He sighed and looked through the darkness at the empty spot where Theodore would have been. It was strange to be away from him through the night, even more-so knowing that it wasn't just for the one.

His mind was swimming with stray thoughts, or anything that kept the voices away. Then even the distractions faded under the sound of Simon's breathing. Even after all this time, that effect hadn't gone away. He laid there for just a moment to appreciate the sound.

With Theodore's absence as the only thought in his head, Alvin kicked off his sheet, stumbled blindly over to Simon and laid beside him.

Simon stirred awake to the feeling of Alvin cuddling up next to him. "…Alvin? Are you –"

"Shut up, Simon…" Alvin interrupted simply and rested his head on his brother's chest. He could feel them now, not just hear them. Every breath and every heartbeat. Undeniable proof that Simon was there.

Simon couldn't see the weary grin on Alvin's face, but he could feel him already drifting back to sleep. He pulled the corner of the sheet until it covered them both, then joined his brother in slumber.

* * *

><p>It was still early morning when the middle-aged chipmunk arrived on the Miller doorstep. He rang the bell and used the next moments to adjust his dusty old hat and flimsy bouquet of freshly picked flowers – they had to be fresh, he picked them from that very garden.<p>

A moment later, Brittany greeted their unexpected guest. "Hello?" She opened the door and took a moment to recognize him. "It's you!" She exclaimed. "You've got some nerve showing up here!"

The commotion drew her sisters and Theodore to her side.

"I guess that means you remember me then, right?" He nervously pulled at his collar.

Theodore had to push in to see what the big deal was, catching on right away, "Uh oh." The visitor's beady eyes seemed to light up at the sight of him.

"Theodore! I was just looking for you boys. How about a hug for your dear old Uncle Harry?"


	8. Voire Dire Part One

_**Sorry for the long wait, I've been losing momentum lately and this chapter is predictably long. So, I've decided to split this chapter in two again both for ease of reading and because...I probably won't get many (if any) reviews if I leave it too long. I know that shouldn't matter, but I like comments!**_

_**Anyway, this is the first half of the second last chapter, so the end is getting close. I should have the last half of this chapter up next week, with luck, so the wait shouldn't be nearly as long. Enjoy!**_

* * *

><p>Uncle Harry was, as Alvin would so aptly put it, a crook. Despite having next to no power or marketable talents of his own, he had a habit of kneading his hands to the very thought of filling his pockets with cash. There seemed to be no lie he wouldn't tell to make that happen.<p>

Even 'Uncle' Harry was a lie, and one he milked often. The first time the chipmunks were swindled by him, he used the family angle to have them perform for his benefit – or for their mother's, as he claimed. It was hard to believe they'd ever fall for one of his schemes again, but they did, and on more than one occasion. For whatever reason, he seemed to prey on the younger chipmunks. Maybe he figured they were easy targets. After all, finding another English-speaking chipmunk in the middle of the city was rare.

Harry even managed to fool the Chipettes with his 'Uncle Harry' routine. By now, both groups knew well enough that not only was he no relative of theirs, but more importantly, he'd say anything to get closer to a payoff. If he was showing up now, it was because he found a new way to make a dishonest income.

For now, that crook was none of Alvin and Simon's concern. While their little brother and the Chipettes were left to deal with him, they were preoccupied with settling into their first morning alone.

Simon stood over the fireplace with a pan in his hand and a frustrated frown on his face. He groaned and discarded yet another batch of pancakes onto the rightmost plate. He was separating the successes from the failures with different plates – the failure pile being the only one so far. _Come on, Simon. They're just pancakes, it's not that hard. Cooking is just science without the chemicals. Maybe I have the wrong ratios…_

"They don't have to be perfect," Alvin complained.

"I know," Simon poured another pair and watched them closely.

Alvin jumped up and wandered over. "Why don't you just let me do it?"

"I suppose you think you could do better?"

"Please, Simon. I'm practically a gourmet chef! Don't go telling everybody, but everything Theodore knows he learned from me." Alvin pushed his way in front of the fireplace and grabbed the pan.

Simon stepped aside and crossed his arms. "Amazing what he could do with so little," he mocked.

Sure enough, Alvin got to work and seemed to know what he was doing. Apparently cooking with Theodore the last few days taught him a thing or two about how to make breakfast; or how the handle cooking over a fireplace, at least. In no time at all, he flicked a pair of pancakes onto a plate and handed it to his observant brother. "Breakfast is served," he declared.

Simon took the plate and inspected the serving. Alvin seemed to have done a good job – one of the rare times when his bouts of arrogance actually went somewhere. He waited for Alvin to prepare his own breakfast then took a seat on the treehouse floor.

The surprised look on Simon's face as he bit into the pancake caught Alvin's eye. "So can I cook, or can I cook?" He pat his ego.

Honestly, Simon figured Theodore did a better job, but Alvin didn't need to know that. It was still surprisingly good, nonetheless. "Well, it's better than I could manage." He gestured to the tower of his self-proclaimed failures. "What do you want to do with those?"

"We'll give them to Brittany as a thanks for the _great_ lunches," Alvin joked.

Simon half laughed at that. It was a good thing his pride wasn't wrapped up in his cooking or he probably would have found that offensive.

It was a bit of a strange thing, being alone with Alvin after everything that was going on. It seemed like little-by-little things were falling apart, but at the same time, the layers that Alvin used to protect himself were peeling away. They had always been close, but over the last few weeks Simon got to see his brother in ways he hadn't before. Especially now, after that little breakdown outside the prison. Simon could swear Alvin looked different now – somehow more gentle – but it could easily just be his head playing tricks on him.

Still, as much as letting all that built up emotion out seemed to ease the burden on Alvin, he was still carrying a lot of…something. It probably wasn't whatever was so painful about the prison visits since he seemed to be making his way past that, but there were some lingering issues that he still wasn't dealing with.

As Simon sat there and finished his breakfast, he watched Alvin eat his own and got lost in thought. _What are you still hiding from me? I must have missed something. Let's see…you said you were afraid, but you're dealing with that, so that's not it. Maybe…the nightmares? _He looked at Alvin's face as he bit into a pancake and dismissed the theory. It didn't seem to be anything so 'on the surface' as that. _Besides, you'd come to me if that was the problem. It has to be something you couldn't come to me about._

'…_Alvin wouldn't have been crying about losing you,'_ the memory popped into his head. "…You were really crying?" Simon repeated quietly to himself.

"Huh?" Alvin looked up from his food.

"It's nothing, I was just thinking…" Simon paused in thought. That was a bit of an anomaly - the timing of it, at least. "It probably doesn't matter anymore, but when you were with Theodore…were you really crying about me?"

Alvin almost choked at the question. "I, uh…well not really, I mean. It was just, um…maybe." He fiddled with his food as a distraction. The last thing he wanted was to start reliving the moment.

"Is it something you'd like to talk about?" Simon prodded.

"...It was nothing."

Simon raised a brow. "Why don't I believe you?" Alvin seemed to ignore him, so he started to push harder. "If it's no big deal, why can't you talk about it?"

"I just didn't want to lose you, alright?"

"So I hear. But why then? I've run away before and that didn't get to you like that. What makes this time different?" It just didn't make sense.

"You were running away from home. That one wasn't because of me, that's why."

Simon slowly set his plate down. Any lingering curiosity was quickly turning into concern. "Alvin, I think you'd better explain that. Why do my reasons for leaving matter so much to you?"

"Because…" Alvin seemed to drift away. "I didn't think you'd leave me too."

"'Too?' Who else has left you?"

"Come on, Simon! Everyone leaves me. Whenever I get close to someone, it ends up happening sooner or later. I just thought it was different with you guys."

"That's not true," Simon said tenderly and took Alvin's hand. Alvin didn't look back at him, but Simon knew it helped comfort him. "The people who love you aren't just going to leave you. Where did you get an idea like that?"

Alvin shrugged.

"Well you don't have to worry about that. It's probably just all in your head. What about me, and Theodore? What about Dave?"

"What about Mum?"Alvin's heart skipped a beat. Simon weakened his hold, unable to respond to that. Obviously there was nothing he could say to take that thought away. "She was only the first one," Alvin added.

After a moment of silence, Simon blinked into a sympathetic smile. "Well I still didn't leave you, did I?"

"Yeah, but you can't tell me you didn't come close." Simon's smile faded. Alvin sighed and pushed away the last of his breakfast. "I think I lost my appetite…"

As Simon watched his brother drift off into clearly unpleasant thoughts, he couldn't help but feel guilty. They were having a nice breakfast; he didn't think he was touching on something so sensitive. In a way, it was encouraging that Alvin was willing to talk about it with him at all, but at the same time it felt borderline abusive that he pushed for it.

"I'm sorry, Alvin," he had to apologize. "I didn't mean to ruin the moment. I just figured that, while we're alone, we might be able to talk about this kind of stuff." Alvin seemed to ignore him. "But I can understand if you don't want to."

"It's not that. I want to, it's just…"

"…you can't." Simon finished for him, disappointed but at least relieved he wasn't being blocked out. "If it'll make you feel better, you can ask me a question. It's only fair." He was hesitant to offer, but he couldn't expect Alvin to be able to open up if he wasn't willing to give it a try himself.

It took a moment for Alvin to respond. Simon would normally assume he wasn't listening, but he was sure that wasn't the case. "Ok," Alvin finally agreed. "What's up with you and Jeanette?"

"That's your question?" Simon expected something a lot more difficult than that.

"Well, yeah," Alvin shrugged. "I figured you two liked each other, but that's obviously not it. What's the deal?"

"Jeanette's just a really good friend," Simon explained. "Well, she's my best friend, actually. We can talk to each other about things we can't with anyone else."

"Does that mean she knows about your…what did you call it? 'Outside interests?'"

"Yep. In fact, I think she figured it out before I did." Simon smiled at the memory.

A thought occurred to Alvin. "Wait, how long ago are we talking here?"

Simon snapped back from the reminiscence. "Huh?"

"How long have you felt that way?"

Simon tilted his head back in thought. "It would have been since Valentine's Day, if I recall correctly."

"Valentine's Day? Weren't you on a date with Jeanette? That would mean…" Alvin's eyes flicked wide as he took on a mocking grin. "Oh, man!" He laughed.

Simon smirked back. "Oh yes, you laugh it up, but we're still a lot closer than you and Brittany are now." Alvin's laughter came to an abrupt stop. "Speaking of which, I believe that answers your question, so it's my turn."

Alvin dropped back down. He was enjoying being on the other side of the questioning for once.

"You and Brittany are still fighting about something big, but no one will tell me what's going on and I'm pretty sure you have something to do with it," Alvin gulped. "I want to know what happened, and I want the full story."

"You know there's a reason I didn't want you to find out, right?"

"I figured as much, but considering I keep getting pulled into it anyway, I think I deserve to know the why."

"Well, it's a pretty long story…" Alvin layered on excuses.

"We've got time."

Alvin groaned, clearly unable to dissuade his brother. "Ok, have it your way. Here's what happened…"

* * *

><p>It was the weekend before Dave told us about that trial, and Brittany invited me out for a walk around the park for some reason. I didn't know going out there, but apparently she found out that things ended between me and Claire. You remember Claire right? That blonde fifth-grader with the skirt?<p>

Anyway, Brittany was more dolled-up than usual for some reason. She was wearing this thin pink and white dress and a big frilly hat.

_You remember what she was wearing?_

Well it's kind of a big deal, but I'll get to that. The dress was her favourite and the hat was…well, from what I was told anyway, a gift from someone they met when they got here. Now she says it was priceless, but it looked pretty normal to me. Oh, and some shiny earrings.

_Brittany has pierced ears?_

I don't know, but that's what she was wearing.

We were walking home and took a bit of a detour through town. She wanted to talk about me and Claire, so I told her about what happened – about how Claire said I wasn't 'mature enough' and that I 'didn't contribute to our relationship.' Like she was perfect!

Brittany said "There's no point obsessing over someone that's not right for you" and asked if there was anyone I'd rather be with. So I told her.

There was that new girl, Alison. She has this long, brown hair and her dad owns a comic store. We would have been perfect together, other than the age thing.

Then Brittany got this funny look in her eyes and said that "maybe there's someone else," and that I "should be with someone who 'gets'" me.

Obviously something was up, so I asked her what she meant.

"You should be with someone like me, I guess," she said. I must have laughed at her or something, because she got this angry look on her face and started shouting at me.

_Why would you laugh at that?_

I don't know. Maybe it was the way she said it, I don't remember. I don't even remember how we started fighting, now that I think about it. But whatever happened, when I told her I thought I could do better, she flipped out.

I remember exactly what she said next.

She yelled "That's your problem, Alvin. You don't know how to treat the people who care about you! You're selfish; you're just not worth it anymore! It's like the closest you'll ever get to a meaningful relationship is with that brother of yours!"

"What brother?" I asked.

"Duh, with Simon! He's about as close to a proper girlfriend as you're ever going to get."

I was shocked! Who says that to someone?

Then she continued. "Until he wises up and gets rid of you too."

I don't know why I did it, but that got to me. She crossed the line and there was nothing I could do about it. So I just pushed her away and ran home.

I know it sounds stupid and I'm not proud of it, but that's what happened.

* * *

><p>"I see," Simon nodded along. After what Alvin told him before, the significance seemed fairly obvious. Everything Brittany said to him was just mindless arguing, but it hit a lot of weak spots, whether she was aware of it or not. Alvin must have been mortified hearing someone close to him throw all his insecurities back at him. A childish reaction, perhaps, but he could understand it. "I can certainly see why you'd hold a grudge, but I'm not seeing why you kept this from me."<p>

"She practically called you my girlfriend," Alvin blushed. "I…didn't know how you'd react to that."

Simon laughed, "Alvin, she just said that to get a rise out of you. It has no meaning." Alvin shied away for a moment. _Great, he's keeping something from me again_. "Does it?"

There was a little hesitation before Alvin could answer. "I doubt she thinks there's anything between us, if that's what you mean."

Simon furrowed his brow and connected the bits of information he noticed Alvin wasn't mentioning. He almost didn't want to push it, but if he was about to stumble onto something important, he'd might as well do it earlier rather than later. "Tell me, then. Are we only together because of what Brittany said?"

"No, of course not," Alvin answered, but the lack of conviction in his voice made Simon's heart sink. Even if this relationship was only temporary, he didn't like thinking he took such a big risk on something that was never real. Alvin took notice of Simon's change in manner and tried to clarify. "At first I just didn't want it to freak you out, but after I started to have…feelings for you, it was more that I didn't want it to complicate things between us."

"So your feelings for me are real, then?"

"They definitely feel real."

Simon sighed. It was a tough call. Alvin didn't seem to think that he was just coming to him because of what Brittany said, but neither of them could rule it out as an influence. It could be completely real, or it could be something subconscious tricking him…there was no way to tell. Still, it shouldn't matter. It didn't change the fact that Alvin needed Simon, but somehow the reason why seemed important.

"Does that answer your question?" Alvin asked, eager to move on.

Simon was about to say yes, but quickly changed his mind. "Almost. I see why you were angry with Brittany, but why is she still angry with you?"

"Oh, that…" Alvin rubbed the back of his head. "Uh, well the thing is that it may have been a little closer to a shove than a push." Simon's eyes ordered him to continue. "Aaaand she may have landed on a little bit of, uh, wet cement, and…well you remember me mentioning her favourite dress?" Alvin smiled awkwardly.

Simon couldn't help but stare open-mouthed. "Ok, so let me get this straight – from Brittany's perspective. She invites you out to make sure you're ok about your breakup, then tries to ask you out. You then laugh at her and proceed to shove her into wet cement, ruining her most prized possessions, and then you run off and leave her stranded."

Alvin nodded, starting to feel some guilt sink in.

"So, WHY have you not apologized for this?"

"I'll apologize when she apologizes to me first! She started it…"

"Alvin!" Simon looked cross. "You're telling me that we've spent weeks having to build our own home and fend for ourselves in the middle of the woods because 'she started it'?"

Alvin just flinched into a guilty grin as a response.

With an angry groan, Simon rose to his feet and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" Alvin called out to him.

"I'm going to go see the Chipettes, and you're coming with me. I don't care if you have to get on your knees and beg; we're putting an end to this." Simon took a breath and turned back. "You can ask me your question afterwards, but we're dealing with this now, before it gets any worse."

* * *

><p>"THAT'S what they've been fighting about?" Theodore was surprised by how trivial it all sounded.<p>

"Uh huh," Jeanette nodded.

"Well that's just silly," Theodore commented. "Why can't they just apologize and make up for it?"

"Uh, have you met Brittany?" Eleanor interjected. "If there's one thing she's good at, it's holding a grudge. She can be even more stubborn than Alvin when she wants to be."

"I'm sure if she said she was sorry, Alvin would too."

"Yeah, or Alvin could apologize first and then Brittany would," Eleanor countered.

Theodore got defensive, or at least as close as he could. "Why does he have to go first? Obviously she hurt Alvin's feelings. That's more important than a dress."

"I know it sounds that way," Jeanette empathized. "But that meant a lot to Brittany. She was crying by the time she got home."

"Don't tell him that!" Brittany shouted from the next room.

"Brittany, stop eavesdropping!" Eleanor called back.

"I will when you stop talking about me!"

Eleanor rolled her eyes, but her smile showed she wasn't really bothered. Despite her complaining and arguing, Brittany meant well. She was just lashing out because she still felt bad about the whole situation. She was being petty and selfish, of course, but she was far from heartless. In her own way, she still wanted to help.

It was a good thing that she let Theodore stay with them, from the looks of it. Brittany seemed to avoid him as much as possible, but it was a start and it definitely helped Theodore settle down.

"I'll get it, then!" Brittany called again. Eleanor shook out of her little daze – she didn't even notice the doorbell go off.

"I'd better go with her incase it's Harry again," Eleanor got to her feet and followed.

Brittany came to the door and pulled it open. She'd already guessed who it was on the other side. "What do you want?" Brittany seemed more frustrated than angry this time around. The two chipmunk boys just stood there uncomfortably as they did every time they came by to ask for another favour.

Alvin fiddled with his collar to distract himself. "Oh, you know, we were in the neighbourhood so we decided to drop by."

Brittany tapped her foot, unsatisfied by the non-answer. "And?"

"Well, I got to thinking about our little fight. You know, the one where you criticized me in my time of need, and then got angry at me for defending myself when it was you who- …ow!" Simon gave him a quick jab to the arm. "Ok, ok!" He rubbed his arm and tried to keep his pride in check. "So, you know the one I mean. Thing is, I…I'm sorry."

Brittany paused and waited for some follow-up quip or remark, but surprisingly, Alvin stayed quiet and tried to make eye contact. Failing, but still trying. "Well it's about time!" Brittany remarked.

"Brittany…!" Eleanor gave a restrained caution.

"Oh, alright!" Brittany flicked her head back, then with a breath returned the apology. "I'm sorry too."

"And do you both mean it?" Eleanor pressed.

"Yes," they both replied in the same childish drone.

"Good." Eleanor straightened up. "Do you guys want to come in? Theodore would love to see you."

Alvin groaned to himself – he'd hoped that could be the end of it; he didn't want to be stuck with Brittany yet – but Simon answered for him. "We'd like that." He took a step through the doorway as soon as Brittany gave way, leaving Alvin to follow.

* * *

><p>"Was it him again?" Jeanette greeted her sisters back in the lounge.<p>

Eleanor smiled and gestured to their guests. "Even better."

Theodore sprung up and couldn't help but dash into Simon for a hug. "Simon! Alvin!" He squeezed. "I missed you guys!"

Simon laughed and gave his little brother a pat on the back. "It's only been one day, Theo!" He smiled down at him. "But we missed you too."

Alvin seemed to hang back with his hands hidden. Something about the setup still felt awkward to him, especially the part about being stuck around Brittany. It wasn't that he wasn't happy to see Theodore, it was just that he couldn't get the idea that Brittany was secretly glaring at him out of his head.

"How are you and Alvin doing?" Theodore asked, releasing the hug.

"We're getting there. Don't worry, I'm sure we'll have things all sorted out soon."That was obviously just what Theodore wanted to hear, but it seemed true enough. "What about you guys? I hope Miss Miller was alright with the situation."

"Yeah, she's been really nice," Theodore generously left out details. "She made me a bed in their room and everything."

"It looks like everything's working out then," Simon smiled.

"Yeah!" Theodore nodded. "Well, other than Harry, I guess."

Both Alvin and Simon blinked at the mention. "Harry?"

"Oh, you'll love this," Brittany started to explain. "'Uncle' Harry showed up looking for you guys this morning."

"You didn't give him anything, right?" Alvin questioned.

"Ha, of course not! One scheme is all I need to learn my lesson."

"What'd he want then?"

"That's the best part. That low-life got thrown out of his job when his boss got word about the trial thing." Brittany flicked her hair in a gesture of victory. "But before he got kicked out, he stole some letter to that auction and wanted Theodore to get him an invitation. Obviously it's just the start of one his schemes."

That certainly sounded like Harry. "What auction?" Simon asked.

Theodore piped up. "That's what I said!"

Brittany shrugged. "No idea. I thought you'd know." She moved over to a nearby counter and picked up the top-most letter. "We took the letter from him though before telling him to get lost."

"Let me see that!" Alvin snatched the paper and skimmed it. It _looked_ official enough – Harry could easily have forged it, but it was instinctive to assume it was still real. The contents of the letter seemed to be the most worrisome part. From what Alvin could tell, it said that next week would be a big 'seized property' auction. Not just any property, either, but their property. Apparently everything of value they had taken from their house was about to get sold away.

"They're selling all of my – I mean OUR stuff! They can't do that!" Alvin fumed at the letter.

Simon plucked it out of his brother's hands, much more composed about the situation than his elder. "It's not that uncommon after a conviction. Especially in the case of celebrities, an auction's an effective way to…" he lost focus after looking at the letter himself. He furrowed his brow. "Wait, that can't be right."

"I told you!" Alvin proclaimed.

"I don't mean the auction. Take a look," Simon handed him back the paper. The Chipettes and the youngest Seville waited around for an explanation.

'_Seville Seized Goods Auction_

_Your final and best chance at taking home the personal treasures of the now defunct 'Alvin and the Chipmunks' band and of their incarcerated manager. It is with great pleasure that we invite you to participate in this exclusive, one-time auction, and hope you are able to attend._

_For serious collectors, investors, or buyers of cultural relics. Admittance by invitation only.'_

"Give me a hint," Alvin continued to stare at the paper, waiting for something to jump out at him.

"Take a look at the signature."

"_Jeremiah 'JB' Burns_," Alvin read aloud and suddenly caught on. "JB! That slimy, no good-"

"Who's JB?" Jeanette interrupted.

Simon left his brother to rant to himself while he explained. "JB is some industry tycoon out in the country. He tried to evict our grandparents when he found out they lived on an untapped oil reserve until we stopped him. I always wondered if he held a grudge."

"Evidently, he did," Jeanette observed. Simon stood stationary for a moment with his hand to his chin in thought. "Is this important?"

"It might be. I'll have to ask some questions to find out," Simon pondered for a moment, then headed towards the door.

"Hey!" Alvin snapped out of the fuming and called in his direction. "Where do you think you're going?"

Simon turned back, but obviously made up his mind about taking off. "I'm going to see Dave's lawyer. This might not even be the same JB, but if it is, he needs to know about it. It's too big of a coincidence to be nothing."

"You could have just said so," Alvin joined in on the march out, but Simon stopped him with a hand to his chest.

"Oh, no, I can handle this one on my own," Simon objected. "No offense, but I don't think a law firm is your kind of place." His voice lowered to a whisper so only Alvin could hear. "Besides, you still need time to make up with Brittany."

Alvin opened his mouth defiantly, but didn't push the issue. Simon was decided and while he could definitely argue if he wanted, it wouldn't get him his way.

Simon removed his hand and looked back at the others, telling them "I'll be back in a few hours" before departing. Alvin stood nervously by the door for a moment. As close to home as this place was, it very quickly took a turn into being uncomfortable. Everyone else seemed to go back to what they were doing before the two arrived, but he couldn't help but feel lost knowing his brotherly safety net was gone. He tried not to think about being stuck there for the next few hours and just gravitated to the corner of the kitchen, decided on just waiting the visit out.

* * *

><p>Alvin sat staring out the window with his head in his hand, as he'd been doing for the last hour. Typically, it started raining not long after Simon left. Alvin almost shot out at the first sign of water to try and catch up to him, but that wouldn't have done any good…besides, Simon wanted him to stay here for whatever reason.<p>

Alvin sighed, watching the raindrops sprinkle over and obscure the glass on the outside. It shouldn't have bothered him, but it did. It didn't feel like he was worried exactly, he just wanted Simon to come back. He felt so useless stranded there while his brother was out in the rain.

The little chipmunk didn't really take notice of Brittany joining him at the window-side table. She stood by his side and pushed a steaming mug onto the tabletop.

Wearily, Alvin eyed it before realizing it was meant for him. "What's that for?" He asked, still leaning on one hand.

"It's a…peace offering," Brittany explained. "It's just hot chocolate, but…well, you know." She couldn't put it into words, but she'd hoped the gesture would speak for itself.

"Thanks," Alvin accepted it and hazarded a sip while Brittany took the seat across from him. "Don't take this the wrong way, but why are you being nice to me? There's no one else around and it's not like I'd tell anyone if you weren't."

Brittany paused for a second, seemingly scanning Alvin for any sign of antagonism. "I don't want to fight anymore, Alvin. Do you?"

Alvin looked into the mug and shook his head. "Nope."

"Good. We can put all this behind us, then. You can just pay for the dress and –" Alvin's head shot up. "Uh, never mind."

Alvin slowly smiled. Truth be told, he did miss Brittany. She was the most superficial person he knew, but for some reason, they always clicked together. When they were at their best, they were there for each other and could talk about private things – offer encouragement and support, that kind of stuff. They weren't as close as Simon and Jeanette apparently were and they never did fully open up with each other, but they were that little bit closer than 'just friends'.

On that note, Alvin's smile faded. It was just a stupid fight they had, but it hit hard enough that he knew there was no way they'd have reconciled by now if Simon hadn't pushed them. Simon was going through a lot of trouble to solve his problems. Or help him to solve his own problems, at the very least. Alvin never said he was grateful for any of it, but he assumed Simon must know it if he's been able to figure all this other stuff out.

Again, Alvin sighed and stared out that window. It didn't feel right that Simon kept being the one to fix things. For someone so concerned with fairness, Simon sure was making things unfair on himself. Maybe that's what was so bothersome.

"Are you worried about Simon?"

Alvin drifted for a moment longer before shaking himself back into focus. "Who, me? Worried? Of course not!" He bluffed, but Brittany saw right through it.

"It's ok to be worried about him, Alvin. He is your brother, after all."

"Yeah…" Alvin half-confessed and returned to his absent staring.

Brittany got a little concerned at that. Now that they weren't fighting, the odd behavior actually stood out. Before, she was mostly dismissing it as being rude…or just found it annoying and left it at that. "Is it something else?"

Alvin didn't break his glance. "No, it's just…" He started to remember who he was talking to, and how they always used to talk to each other about the little things that bugged them. This was admittedly something bigger than those, but it was still somehow encouraging. "Well, Simon's been doing a lot of favours for me lately."

"And you don't feel right about him doing this by himself?"

"Exactly." That's what he missed. He didn't have to elaborate or explain for Brittany to help. She just 'got it', he guessed.

"Well, then you should help him," the suggestion sounded simple enough.

The gaze shifted back to the Chipette. "How?" Alvin asked, now noticeably paying attention.

"I don't know…find out what you can do for him, and just do that. He must have favours you can do for him too."

Alvin nodded in thought. Simon had to have problems of his own – he as much as said so himself – but it wasn't going to be easy to make up for everything he'd done.

* * *

><p>Some time later, Simon made his way back to the house. He was soaked from head to toe in rainwater – his glasses were so washed over that it was surprising he could see at all.<p>

Jeanette threw a towel around him and led him into the lounge with the others. "-should probably get out of those clothes. You'll freeze like that." Alvin heard her say.

"No, I-I'll be fine, really," Simon shivered. Alvin failed to hold back a smile at that. Simon being so bashful was…well, it was kind of cute. He didn't think twice about shedding the cold clothes when it was just them in the treehouse.

Thankfully, no one noticed Alvin's sudden blush when it occurred to him how thoughtlessly he'd gone to bed with his brother wearing as close to nothing as they'd get outside of the bathroom. As small an issue as these things were for brothers, that was still a little odd in retrospect.

"So what'd you find out?" Theodore asked from the lounge floor. They'd all somehow gathered in the lounge-room without meaning to, but it was probably the best room in the house to meet for the news.

"I was right; it's the same JB that tried to take Grandma and Grandpa's farm." Simon explained.

Alvin wasn't entirely sure what good that information was, but he tried to stay hopeful. "So, does that mean we can undo everything?"

"Not exactly, but it is a good thing." Alvin slumped back onto the couch – that was a fancy way of saying 'yes, but here comes the catch.' "I spoke to Dave's lawyer, and it seems that JB has strong connections with that animal rights group, and this is the first – and only – time they've tried a case like this. It's very suspicious," Simon emphasized. "He says that since he can prove we're the sole focus of the case, we're able to control the scope."

Brittany scoffed. "In English?"

"That means they don't get to make general statements once we bring this up. Everything they say has to be about us and Dave, because we can prove that's what the whole case has been about."

Theodore lit up. "So, we can win?"

"Precisely," Simon raised a finger. "But it's not really that simple. It's no sure thing, but now we know how to increase our chances."

"Oh, do tell," Brittany pushed despite only sounding half-interested.

"What we need is good testimony. Dave's lawyer can cover the legal and technical side of things, but he says we'd know best who could speak for us. And I agree," Simon motioned proudly. "By my understanding, what we need is someone who can say that Dave's a good, law-abiding person; someone to say that we're his kids; and someone to say he doesn't mistreat us. We also need someone to talk about Dave as our manager, but that should already be taken care of."

"Sounds like you have everything under control," Alvin tried to compliment, but he felt more disappointed than anything as the words left his mouth.

"Well, we still have to figure out who to ask, then actually ask them," Simon admitted, "it's a start. I have some ideas, but there's not a whole lot we can do while it's still raining."

"So, then, what's the plan?" Brittany sat up. "Come up with some ideas and get to work tomorrow?"

Simon stood open-mouthed with his hand raised to elaborate but momentarily stalled. "That was my conclusion, but I actually meant for just the three of us," he motioned to his brothers. "From the way it looks, you guys don't have to get involved in this."

Brittany jumped off the couch and assumed her now-classic pose of stubbornness. "Come on, you're not doing this by yourselves. We're here, and we're going to help."

"Brittany's right," Jeanette drew his attention. "It wouldn't make sense for you to do this alone when you don't have to."

"You've got me there," Simon smiled gratefully at her. "In any case, Alvin and I should head off before it gets dark; we can come up with plan tomorrow."

"Oh no!" Brittany objected. "You two aren't wandering around the woods in the rain. You can stay here for tonight, then we'll figure it out in the morning."

"Uh, Brittany? What about Miss Miller?" Eleanor pointed out.

"Like she's going to kick them out. You worry too much!"

Alvin rolled his eyes. Even when she was trying to help, she was bossy.

* * *

><p>Thankfully, Brittany was right about Miss Miller. It took next to no convincing to get her to let the boys stay the night. With the Chipettes' help, they put together a few beds on the carpet of the bedroom – one at the base of each actual bed – for the boys to sleep in.<p>

They even had some spare pajamas to get through the night. Miss Miller claimed they were 'unisex', but Alvin could argue against that with no trouble at all. Which he did, but it ultimately ended on the note of 'this is humiliating!' and with him going to bed in a huff. He probably would have preferred to just sleep in his clothes, but that was apparently too 'unsanitary' for her.

That crazy old bat had some strict rules, but she obviously had good intentions.

Still, the sleep itself was comfortable while it lasted. No one else seemed to have trouble throughout the night, which is unsurprising since anything was better than sleeping on a wooden floor, but Alvin couldn't manage to stay asleep for long. He was put at the opposite end to Simon, which was probably a good thing when he thought about it. When those rambling voices in his head broke his slumber and he couldn't hear Simon clearly enough to keep them away, the first thing he wanted to do was move closer. If they were next to each other, he probably would have, but that would be hard to explain away in the morning.

Alvin tossed and turned and spent a good portion of the night staring at the ceiling. With those judgemental messages breaking him out of every merciful sleep, and the invasive sounds of sleeping around him, the looming issues of the next day just added up to too much.

It was too crowded in there. For whatever reason, he wasn't allowed to sleep.


	9. Voire Dire Part Two

_**Sorry for the lateness. I have excuses but I won't bore you with them. I just wanted to mention that the next chapter is the last chapter, but you shouldn't hold your breath for it. I want to do something special for the end, but it means I have to coordinate my timing a little. It might not make a difference, but it might make me run late…again. Oh, and I also might end up going through and fixing some errors in the earlier chapters - typos and such, nothing major. Just a heads-up. (UPDATE: Should be all done now. Hopefully I didn't break anything...someone let me know if I did.)**_

_**Anyway, since this chapter was split in two, this part picks up right where the last one left off. If it seems like there's a lack of a lead-up, that's why!**_

_**I hope you like it!**_

* * *

><p>In the morning, the two groups discussed their options over a breakfast of generic-branded cereal and toast. Several names were brought up, including business associates and the school psychiatrist, but ultimately they figured it would be best to stick with people they actually knew beyond a one-time crossing.<p>

Of all the names thrown around, three stood out: Miss Stone, Miss Milliken, and Mr Parrish. That last one came as a surprise, or as Simon phrased it, was 'an intriguing prospect'. The idea was that plenty of people gave them some kind of help, but the ones that actually seemed to be on their side must have had good reasons, and Mr Parrish was certainly one of them.

Jeanette and Simon paired up to form a schedule to track down the potential testifiers. There were certain timeframes when they'd be within reach, so they'd have to coordinate. And of course they had to plan who would be best to handle each meeting. As simple as it was on the higher level, the details had to be figured out carefully. They wouldn't be able to forgive themselves if this failed because of being underprepared – it was a good thing this kind of project came naturally to the pair.

Since everyone insisted on being involved, they sorted everyone into three groups, narrowed down a timetable, and assigned the tasks accordingly. It was a quick bit of strategizing that hardly impacted the morning, but it still wasn't until mid-afternoon that the continuing rain started to die down.

The two eldest brothers decided to take that opportunity to head home, now that the right tasks had been delegated. They'd barely left the front door when Theodore gave them pause.

"Wait!" He called, running to them. He swung an overstuffed pack and thrust the strap into Simon's hands.

"What's this?" Simon naturally asked.

"Oh, you know, just some food and stuff," Theodore answered modestly. Conveniently, Eleanor was nearby to elaborate.

"Cupcakes, sugar, flour, some vegetables, eggs…" she listed. "We wanted to give you something to eat so you're not stuck eating just pastries all the time." Since all they had to work with was what Theodore left behind, it wasn't hard to narrow down what they were eating. For the sake of freshness, Theodore seemed to have been getting most of the ingredients every day or two from others instead of keeping a proper stash. "It was Theodore's idea, we just thought we'd chip in" she gave away the credit.

"Thanks," Simon chuckled and thanked the pair, ignoring that giving them cupcakes kind of went against the idea of 'less pastries'.

Alvin was a little more hands-on. He ruffled Theodore's hair with a grin. "Yeah, thanks, Theo."

The little chipmunk gave a typical happy grin and waved his brothers goodbye, staying outside until they finally moved out of sight.

* * *

><p>Barely a few blocks from the Chipettes' home, Alvin started to eye the bag swinging alongside his brother as they walked. It wasn't particularly heavy, despite the appearance; it was more just that the bag was too small for what was inside. Still, Brittany's advice was stuck in his head, so any little thing he could do to be useful seemed worth doing.<p>

"I can carry that," Alvin offered and reached for the bag, but Simon pulled away.

"I'll be fine," he declined.

Maybe it was the lack of sleep, or maybe it was that Simon was so hard to do favours for, but something about that was frustrating. "I said I can carry that," Alvin repeated and lunged for the bag, only to have it pulled away again.

"And I said I'll be fine," Simon echoed with a defiant smirk.

Alvin growled in frustration. "Would you stop messing with me and just let me help?"

"What is your problem?" Simon about-faced and dangled the bag from one hand for a moment, assessing the situation. "Fine," he tossed his brother the bag, "if it means that much to you." He turned and continued walking.

Alvin dug his fingers into the pack. _Great!_ He complained to himself. _Now it feels like he's doing ME a favour!_ He marched along with the food in carry, keeping to his offer but not happy about it.

It was much the same at the treehouse. Alvin made sure to reach the treetop first, then stopped on the terrace to offer his hand to his trailing brother.

Simon didn't even notice and climbed up by himself.

"Are you kidding me?" Alvin fired.

"What?" Simon was genuinely confused.

"Don't 'what' me! Either take my help or leave it, but don't toy with me!"

"Alvin," Simon dusted himself off – the walk through the woods was a dirty one – "I honestly have no idea what you're talking about."

Alvin seemed taken aback. Somehow, he found it hard to believe that Simon didn't know what he was doing. That big brain of his could pick up on all the little secrets he wanted to keep to himself, but when it comes to accepting help it's completely in the dark? "You're some kind of genius, you figure it out," Alvin dismissed and walked inside in a huff, leaving Simon to futilely try and put the pieces together.

Once the bag of food was carelessly cast aside, Simon followed, immediately confronting the situation. "You're mad at me?" Simon guessed. "And you're not going to tell me why?"

Alvin ignored him by tidying his bed with his back turned.

"Is it something I did?"

"What else could it be?" Alvin retorted.

"Well whatever it is, can you just put it out there so we can talk about it? I'm just trying to help, you know."

"That's just it!" Alvin stopped and turned. "You're always just trying to help! How am I meant to take that?"

Simon took a step forward to keep them from resorting to shouting more out of habit. "Ok, so you want me to leave you to own devices a bit more? If I've been too hard on you –"

Alvin groaned. "You don't get it!"

"Evidently not," Simon slouched. "How about you spell it out for me?"

"I shouldn't have to. It doesn't make sense…" Alvin complained. "Why are you so obsessed with making sure I'm alright that you aren't even worried about yourself?"

"I'm not obsessing, I just need to know what's bothering you if I want to fix it."

"That IS what's bothering me," Alvin pointed out.

"Oh," Simon didn't expect that. "Uh, I'm not sure I completely understand…do you want my help or not?"

"Well, yeah," Alvin tried to downplay the response. "But, come on, Simon! You're doing everything for me and I don't have anything I can do for you. How do you expect me to feel about that?" It must have been so easy for someone who could figure out your problems just by looking at you. Alvin felt like he had to fight for every little thing while Simon knew exactly what he was doing. "I mean, that's what all this has been about, right?"

"I-I haven't been like that," Simon scratched his head, "have I?" He thought over it and tried to see it from Alvin's perspective. Maybe he had been taking the initiative a lot lately, but he just figured that Alvin needed pushing to work out his issues. He wasn't trying to be obsessive or anything, he just wanted to help while he could.

Then again, that was probably exactly what he was complaining about. It would definitely seem one-sided to Alvin if all those issues were bigger deals than he was letting on, which was highly likely.

"Well, if I have made you feel useless, I apologize," Simon said sincerely. "What would you suggest we do about it?"

"I don't know…nothing, I guess," Alvin still couldn't figure out how to balance the scales more in his favour. "Just don't treat me like a kid all the time. You have to give me some credit and stop trying to protect me so much. Just let me help once in a while!"

Simon nodded, a little saddened that this even turned into an issue at all. "Alright, that's fair. I guess I just got so used to it that I…" He stopped himself before elaborating. "In any case, that walk sure built up my appetite. How about you grab us something to eat?"

With a grin, Alvin ripped open the bag. "That, I can do!"

* * *

><p><em>Simon wandered the darkened woods with only the moonlight to guide him. He turned, looking back the way he came – or he thought that was the way he came. It seemed every time he turned his head, the trees would change places, but it could simply have been that they all looked the same anyway.<em>

_A robin burst from some treetop, drawing the chipmunk's attention. He wasn't startled by it, but there was something so familiar, or even alluring about it that it was impossible to ignore. It was gone before he could see it clearly – it always seemed to be a blur – but in some indescribable way it was significant. It was something like a moth being drawn to a flame, he supposed._

_He wandered in the direction of that robin, not knowing what he was looking for, but there was a warmth about it and he didn't intend to stay in the cold any longer than he had to. Before long, he reached that solitary tree and the others faded away. He grabbed at it and pulled it open, staring into the dark depths inside._

_The sound of water echoed far beneath, but it was too dark to see. Still, there was visible movement; that robin was inside and sipping at a lake, only the deep red of its feathers seemed able to break the blackness._

_A light sprinkle of rain struck and broke Simon's focus. He stared at the sky, not too bothered, more just curious._

_In an instant, the rain broke into a torrent of an icy storm and flooded that isolated island. Simon quickly turned, oddly alarmed for that robin and debating whether or not to dive in to escape the storm, but he lost that chance. In a crack of thunder, the tree splintered towards him._

"_Simon!"_

Simon's eyes snapped open in a panic. A violent downpour of rain sprayed over him and the horrible sound of cracking filled the air. He just about screamed out at the sight of the roof tearing open, but managed to ignore the shock long enough to stumble to his feet.

The treehouse shook and roared with the thunder; the upper corners and far wall shattered in arbitrary places and pulled apart. Simon quaked and shot his gaze around – this didn't seem real…it couldn't be.

He spotted Alvin by the bedroom door, calling out to him. He was barely audible over the storm but Simon could see the words. "Simon! Come on!"He cried with a look of terror on his face.

Simon's vision seemed to narrow. He'd thrown his glasses on instinctively, but they didn't seem to help. His heart was pounding in his chest and he struggled to avoid freezing on the spot. _Snap out of it! Just run!_

Simon sprinted forward, but his legs gave way the moment a board crashed into the ground and speared his sheets. He stumbled to catch the sudden pillar and fell around it, but that was all he could manage before hitting the ground.

Something grabbed his hand and pulled him backwards. He couldn't even make himself move as the wall and roof crashed and fell away into the storm around him.

Alvin pulled his brother into the bedroom and did his best to push the door shut – the constant thrashing of wind fought him for every inch. With a loud grunt, he forced it into place and stumbled back onto the floor.

Both brothers stuck to the ground for dear life, panting away the shock. That was way too close, and not in any insignificant kind of way. That could easily have been life-or-death, and they both knew it.

The sounds of the storm were muffled now, but still unbearably close. It wasn't enough for them to feel safe, but that little illusion of security helped.

After a moment of trying to recompose himself, Alvin swallowed and tried to speak. "W-what just happened?" He choked out.

Simon slowed his breathing. "I-I…uh…" His eyes darted around for a moment while his thoughts were on overdrive. "It must have been all the rain…maybe it flooded the water tanks and…and they got too heavy, or…" He couldn't finish that thought, and not just for lack of focus. That sounded right. He should have checked on them, or emptied them when they got back…reinforced them or something! "I'm sorry, Alvin. I'm so sorry!" He shouted over the pounding in his ears.

Alvin either ignored that or didn't hear it, because he didn't respond. "I think it's over…" he panted.

Reality slowly fell back into place. Once the initial shock wore off, they cautiously migrated over to the furthest corner of the room to try sleep through the rest of it. It was hard to move - they crawled more than they walked - but they got there. Thankfully, Alvin seemed to have the foresight to fetch his sheet and pillow in that extremely brief moment of warning. They'd have to share, but after that ordeal, neither of them were complaining.

They slipped under the sheet together and tried to tune out the sound of the storm. "Are you alright?" Alvin asked.

"Yeah…yeah, I'm fine. Just a little shaken up, that's all." It was hard to dismiss how dangerous that had gotten, but Simon just wanted to avoid thinking about it. "We should be safe in here though, don't worry." This room seemed to be away from the danger-zone and still wasn't constructed on in any way, so in theory it'd be fine.

Alvin smirked and shifted closer. "Then why are you still shaking?"

A crash of thunder interrupted Simon's first attempt at answering, only making matters worse. "B-because, I could always be wrong!"

That was a funny thing about Simon. He could rationalize anything and never seemed to be afraid, but when it came down to it, he was just better at convincing himself than he was brave. Despite all his maturity and responsibility, he had just as much fear as anyone.

Huddled together, it was hard for either of them to miss those kinds of physical reactions from each other. Simon could manage brief moments of stillness, but something kept clicking in his head and made him shake again. Alvin was far less sporadic. His shaking was constant, but gradually calmed until it was barely a shiver. Even something as small as that was still felt.

"What about you?" Simon finally returned the question.

Alvin shrugged. "I'm fine, don't worry about me," he replied all too modestly. He leant over and used Simon's chest as a pillow, subconsciously synchronizing their breaths. He was terrified before, but it wasn't for his own sake. As long as kept Simon there, he at least didn't have to worry about him.

"Why do you have to get so close to me?" Simon half-laughed. Alvin was never very 'touchy-feely' – in fact, he seemed to spite the concept whenever he could.

"It's not that strange, is it?" Alvin looked up. "We ARE meant to be in a relationship, right?"

"A temporary relationship," Simon corrected. "But yes, that's true. Tell me this though: were you like this in any of your other relationships?"

Alvin thought for a moment. "Not really." He noticed Simon start to grin at the answer and got concerned. "Is that a problem?"

"No, it's just…curious, is all."

Alvin didn't question it. Whatever was going through Simon's head would come out eventually if it was important.

There was a bit of an uncomfortable silence in the room. There was no awkwardness between the two, but the quiet only made the sounds of rainfall and the shaking of branches stand out.

More just to break the disquiet, Simon jumped in with a question. "You really did need me, then, didn't you?" It seemed like such a long time ago that Alvin said those words to him, but it was something so memorable that he had trouble shaking it.

The question made Alvin a little embarrassed, despite it being almost the same way he phrased it himself. "Well…yeah, I guess." It took a moment for him to notice the past tense. "You saying I don't anymore?"

"Oh, no, I'm sure you do now too, but it's because of then." Something about the situation made it feel like Simon was thinking aloud rather than talking to anyone in particular. It was probably the darkness and the need for anything to drown out the background noise. "I don't think it was me exactly that you needed at first, but it just ended up that way. You just needed someone – anyone – and maybe you got stuck with the first viable option."

"Why do I get the feeling this is leading up to one of your big questions?" Alvin figured.

"Why me?" Simon summarized. "I'm not exactly your type, among other things. Surely there had to be someone more…suitable."

"At that point there wasn't," Alvin laughed, but quickly changed his tone. "Uh, I didn't mean it that way! It's just that me and Brittany were fighting and –"

"You can stop now, Alvin. I understand," Simon grinned. He could feel that little heartbeat start to race the moment the words left Alvin's mouth.

"That's not the only reason. I guess…the thing is…at first I just didn't want you to feel bad, but I didn't really think about it. Then when you felt better, that made me feel happy again. It wasn't until you said you needed me that it actually hit me."

"What did?"

"It kinda caught me off guard, but when I thought about it, I guess it didn't feel like a 'brother' thing. I know it was, but it just felt different."

"So it was only a gut feeling? No reasoning or thought process at all?"

"Pretty much." The idea seemed almost alien to Simon. Sure, he went with his instincts from time to time, but he couldn't jump into their situation with any confidence even after considering it from all angles. It was amazing that Alvin could. "Question answered?" Alvin asked.

Simon took a deep breath, lifting Alvin with him – there was no point dwelling on that answer now; he had to stay focussed. "As much as expected."

"Ok, then here's my question," Alvin had a bit of a follow-up of his own, since they were playing this questions thing pretty seriously. "What do you get out of this?"

"What do you mean?"

Alvin felt kind of awkward asking the question considering their position, but he guessed everything kind of came back to this in his head. "I know when I asked you about us it freaked you out, but you still said yes. Eventually, anyway. Not that I'm not grateful, but there has to be some reason for that other than to make me feel better, right?" He was almost desperate for that to be true.

Simon hesitated. Truthfully, he did just do it for Alvin and that obviously wasn't what he wanted to hear. But he couldn't just lie about it when the whole point of this was to be honest with each other. "Are you sure you want me to answer that?" He warned.

Alvin nodded against him in response.

"Ok," Simon paused and fell silent. What was he going to say? That it was a stupid idea but he did it anyway just to keep him happy? Maybe that he felt so guilty about the hurtful things he said that he wanted to do whatever it took to make things right? Those were terrible reasons to get into a relationship…not that it should matter.

For some reason, it did.

"To be honest," Simon started - _but not too honest _– "it has nothing to do with having those kinds of feelings for you…I'm sorry." He half-expected a reaction to that, so he waited, but when Alvin didn't respond he figured he had to continue. "But…I really don't know, Alvin," he had to be sincere. "I think…" he pondered his answer. _I know there was a reason, but I can't put my finger on it. I guess it has been nice to be with someone I can feel attracted t- no, wait, forget that thought. _He almost forgot who he was thinking about. _Still, it does make me happy having him be there for me, and being able to be there for him…more than just going off the guesses and hints that we're used to. I've been getting to see a side to Alvin that I doubt anyone gets to see, and I'm sure he's learnt a lot in his own way._

Maybe that was it.

"I think I just wanted us to be closer," Simon finally continued. It was true – as tight as the three were as brothers, they all had a lot beneath the surface that only stayed buried because they couldn't always confide in each other. "I don't know if there's anything real here or if it's just the stress confusing you, but I don't want us to ever get to the point where we can't talk to each other."

"Me neither," Alvin agreed and pulled closer.

Simon felt out of breath for a moment. This was a harder question to answer than he thought. "So, I just wanted us to be able to be open with each other while we still can, because at this point we're either going to let each other in or start to lock each other out." Simon smiled, content with that answer. "Is that enough?"

"Mmm," Alvin grunted in response, eyes closed and starting to lose energy.

Simon leaned down towards his brother and hovered for a moment, then blinked curiously. What was he doing? Nearest he could tell, he was expecting a kiss but, strangely enough, Alvin didn't. Actually, now that he thought about it, Alvin hasn't so much as hinted at anything of the sort in a while.

He wondered what was going on in his brother's head – or probably what wasn't going on. Maybe after everything, he broke him…or fixed him. Simon really wasn't sure anymore. He would have asked, but obviously Alvin was too tired to be give any kind of coherent response, so he let it lie.

It didn't even occur to him to put his own impulse into consideration.

* * *

><p>The next morning was spent entirely on picking up the pieces. The opposite wall and half of the roof had entirely collapsed from the treehouse, taking chunks of the corner walls and even some of the floor with them. Splintered pieces of wood still littered the floor – the heavier pieces at least, since the smaller ones were carried away in the wind. It was less distressing seeing the aftermath than it was to watch the damage happening, but it was still a surprise to see just how bad it was.<p>

As a small mercy, the fireplace was still intact beyond very minor signs of weathering, and the side of the treehouse with the other two rooms seemed to be intact. It was like something came along and tore the little abode in half, then left what stuck around.

So, they still had the bathroom and the bedroom, and at least enough of the main room to walk around in and make breakfast. They had no water supply, the food was thrown around and ruined, and they only had a fraction of their shelter left, but it could have been worse.

The two chipmunks had to spend at least an hour scavenging the forest floor for whatever got blown away before they could even think about any other plans. For one, Simon wasn't quick enough to get to his clothes in the heat of the moment – he wasn't going anywhere until they found them.

Alvin, on the hand, seems to have gotten everything sorted out ahead of time. He had seconds of time before Simon woke up, but evidently he was alert enough to keep the shock in check.

Simon peered under the branch his brother lifted, but spotted nothing other than more natural wreckage. "Nothing," he noted, cueing Alvin to drop it back down. It would have been much faster if they just split up, but Alvin insisted on sticking together for some irrational reason. "You know, I can do this by myself. It's not like some wild animal is on the prowl for me."

"You don't know that," Alvin climbed over the branch and headed off towards the next area. "Maybe they're out looking for their clothes too."

"Very funny, but I'm serious," Simon chastised. "I can search by myself, you don't have to be here to do the heavy lifting."

Alvin span in the dirt and turned to his brother. "What happened to letting me help out more?"

"I thought you just wanted to get even."

"Yeah, and…?"

Simon gave a light laugh; Alvin's ignorance was kind of charming. "Wouldn't you say saving me last night makes us even?"

Alvin seemed to think for a moment, but only slightly. He gave a nonchalant wave in response. "That doesn't count."

"Why not?

"It just doesn't," he had trouble thinking how to explain it. It seemed self-explanatory enough. "That was just something you do. You would have done it for me, not like it matters."

That was probably true, if Simon could keep his wits about him.

"What else could I do? Leave you there? I wouldn't be able to live with myself!" It came out surprisingly light-hearted.

Simon just looked at his brother warmly. Alvin was loyal, he could give him that much. Maybe even to a fault. It didn't seem like it even occurred to him that helping meant putting himself in danger, it was as simple as helping his brother or…or nothing. There was no second option.

Alvin tilted his head up to look into the trees and his mouth hung open curiously. "Look what I found," he pointed to a blue shape tangled over a high branch.

"Huh?" Simon turned, which apparently was all Alvin needed as confirmation to shoot over to the tree. After a brief moment to judge his mark, Alvin pounced up and started to climb. It was such an effortless display that any rational sense of danger didn't seem to apply.

Alvin moved under the branch, swinging his way across, and pulled the fabric loose with a free hand. He dangled there for a moment, balancing himself to hang by one hand, and used the other to cast the jersey downward.

Simon caught it before it could hit the ground, then shot his eyes back to his brother.

"Think you can catch me?" Alvin joked.

"I wouldn't risk it!"

"You're right, you'd probably drop me!" He started to swing back along the branch instead.

Simon immediately rolled back the fabric and pulled it over his head. It was such a minor thing, but they didn't actually have a proper term for the clothes that Dave made them. Alvin always thought of them as jerseys, but Simon figured they were turtlenecks. Dave never said which they were, but maybe that was the point: they could be either if you wanted them to be. It was probably a way to keep everyone happy, but there was more than one argument between the two about it.

Pointless arguments about nothing that mattered, in retrospect. It was almost disorienting to think that they could bicker so much about little things, but be so eager to help each other when it was something important.

Alvin slid to the bottom of the tree trunk and rejoined his brother. Despite the climb, he wasn't any more out of breath than when he started. "So, what now?" He asked, dusting off his hands.

"Now, we go back to the treehouse and get ready," Simon adjusted his glasses and started walking with Alvin habitually by his side.

"Ok," Alvin nodded along the way. "Uh, ready for what?"

Simon figured he'd forget. "We're up first to get things sorted out for Dave. We need to be at the prison in a few hours if we want to get this done today."

"Actually…no," Alvin corrected.

"No? What do you mean 'no'?" His pace didn't slow, but a quizzical look hit fast.

Alvin elaborated slowly, half-worried that he was about to get himself in trouble. "I kinda swapped us with Theodore and Eleanor. We've got Miss Stone and they've got Mr Parrish."

To Alvin's surprise, Simon seemed to understand. "Can't get up the nerve to go back, I'm guessing?"

"Can you blame me?" Alvin shrugged.

"What is it that has you so afraid?"

There was a momentary silence between the two where footsteps made up the bulk of the conversation. Simon looked at Alvin's face, reading the subtle thoughtfulness and quick shifts into a defensive scowl. "If it's all the same to you, I don't want to talk about it."

"What if I make it my question?"

"Stop bugging me about it! I get that you're trying to help, but could you just leave it alone?" Alvin seemed to pull back from his own outburst and returned to that averted look of thoughtfulness. "I don't know, anyway, and I don't want to know. So do me a favour and don't go making a big deal out of this."

Simon sighed. That wasn't healthy; he thought he'd helped Alvin past this, but whatever it was must have been hitting too close to home. All he could hope for was that Alvin was trying to deal with this in his own way, even if he wouldn't come out and say what was wrong. "Ok, Alvin. Have it your way, I'll leave it alone." He bluffed – he'd figure it out eventually anyway.

* * *

><p>Theodore nervously fiddled with his hands the moment they set foot in those green-tiled halls. He and Eleanor took the task upon themselves, not really considering how unsuitable they were for it. At least one of the boys had to be there to know who to speak to, but Theodore never was so good at speaking to scary people.<p>

They entered that first room with more caution than they needed. Theodore stuck close to Eleanor without meaning to, even though she seemed just as on edge – the fear was contagious.

Two men were in the room with them, neither paying much attention to the little visitors. On one side was a uniformed man tending to paperwork, and to the other a larger man with a vaguely burly appearance and a thick, overgrown moustache.

Theodore tugged Eleanor's sleeve and whispered into her ear. "T-that's him," he looked to the moustached man to identify him as Mr Parrish.

The moustached man looked up from his coffee and spotted the two guests. "Well, if it isn't my little friend," he greeted, ignorant of the intimidation. "And who is this you've brought with you?"

"Uh…uh…" Theodore stammered and clung to the Chipette.

"Jim, you're scaring the children," the other man chuckled from the other side.

"Nonsense!" Mr Parrish bellowed with a hair-hidden grin. "I don't frighten you, do I, boy?"

Theodore hid himself. "N-no!"

Eleanor took a little look at Theodore and made herself speak up, just to make sure one of them could. "Maybe… just a little," she forced a smile.

Mr Parrish gave a laugh in response, not at all offended. "I won't keep you caught up then! What can I do for you two? Is your father expecting you?" The other man moved to intervene, but was silenced with a hand gesture.

"Not exactly…" Eleanor moved to the side and held Theodore forward, silently encouraging him to talk.

Theodore got the hint and tried his best, but he was never too good under pressure. "Well, uh…see…Dave has this…thing…"

"The trial," Eleanor cleared up.

"…yeah, and so Simon thought that maybe you would…I don't know…"

"Testify for him."

"…yeah."

Somehow Mr Parrish managed to piece the request together. "You're asking me to testify for Seville?" They both nodded. He held his hand to his chin in thought for a moment and hummed. "Yeah, I can do that."

"Uh, Jim?" The other man objected.

"Hmm? Oh, don't worry about it," Mr Parrish dismissed it with a wave.

Eleanor and Theodore looked to each other, then back to the governor. "So, it's a yes? Just like that?" Eleanor asked.

"Just like that." He crossed his arms and nodded. "Is there anything else I can do for you two while you're here?"

"No…thank you…" Theodore crept towards the exit, but Eleanor stuck around a moment longer.

"I have a question," Eleanor started. "Why are you so happy to help?"

An unusual look appeared on Mr Parrish's face, looking almost like he was shrugging with only his brow. "Someone has to bring him there anyway, and don't let my job fool you. If I don't think someone's guilty, you can bet that I'll try to defend them."

"Oh," Eleanor responded simply. "Well, thanks." She joined Theodore in his departure.

The other man in the room watched the two leave out of the corner of his eye, making sure they were gone before he spoke up. "You shouldn't have done that, you know."

"Oh, I'll be fine. What are they going to do? Give me a stern talking to?" Mr Parrish sipped his coffee in nonchalance.

"You know it could be worse than that. Especially when you were warned about them already. None of us want to get stuck with some arrogant rookie on a power-trip because you took on too much."

"I appreciate the thought, but let me worry about myself. There's nothing they can do to me, but for now I think it's best to keep this between us."

"I just think that…yes, sir," he withdrew his objection. The two silently went back to their work like nothing had interrupted them, for the most part. Any remaining conversation could be done without contact anyway. "What is it about those kids that gets to you?"

"Have you seen the other two? They're sweet boys. They remind me of my own, you know."

The man looked up from his paperwork. "I didn't know you had kids," he realised. "I didn't even know you were married."

"I'm not," Mr Parrish busied himself, "and I don't. Maybe this is a bit more for me than it is for them, but it doesn't change the facts now, does it?"

"I guess not." The other man left it at that and got back to his work. As informal as his superior was, he never did talk much about his family life. Maybe there was a reason for that.

* * *

><p>Alvin yawned. The combined influences of hunger and the cold night air had drained away most of the two's energy early into the afternoon. The Sun had barely gone down and they were already close to calling it a night, but for the time being they tried to make the best of a bad situation.<p>

They couldn't find much food that was still good to eat, but there was enough to get them through one meal if they rationed it out. One thing they had no shortage of was sticks, so they did exactly what the night seemed to be pushing them into: they lit up that fireplace and used it as it would normally be intended, sitting by it with morsels of food on sticks.

It wasn't quite a camp-out, but it was warm and cosy, despite the exposed night around them.

Alvin speared some handful of food from the pile between the two and pushed it over the crackling flame. Half a cupcake? It'd have to do. Almost none of the food actually had to be cooked, but that wasn't the point, although neither chipmunk would say it.

With a sigh, Alvin bounced the stick in the air and let his attention wander to his brother. Simon was sitting with his knees to his chest and arms crossed, staring blankly at the floor just in front of the fireplace. He seemed so distant all of a sudden. Something about him seemed wrong, but the look was oddly familiar in some subtle way.

_Oh, right!_ Alvin figured where he'd seen it before. It was the same look Simon got after their first night in the treehouse – that same heartbreaking look of sadness.

"Simon?" Alvin drew his attention with worry.

Slowly, Simon turned his head and faced him. Alvin never asked what was wrong, but the look on his face spelled it out. "It's nothing," he answered melancholically and turned back just as slowly as before.

It was only at that point that Alvin noticed Simon had nothing on his stick. _He's not even paying attention, _he noticed. "You can talk to me, you know. You obviously want to."

Simon shook his head. "I really don't."

Alvin sighed. "We can talk about something else," he offered; anything to break that mood.

Silence took over. Crickets sung off in the distance, the leaves rattled in the steady breeze, and the fire continued to crackle, but conversation had no part in the ambiance. It was a little depressing; if the last weeks had taught Alvin anything, it was that he didn't really know that much about Simon. As far as he knew, they never really kept secrets from each other before, but now there seemed to be so much they couldn't talk about.

"…Alvin?"

"Yeah?"

Simon hesitated. "Did I ever thank you for saving me?"

"That again?" Alvin jabbed at the air unintentionally. "Forget about it, it was nothing."

"Not to me, it wasn't," Simon argued. "You don't have to think of it as making us even if you don't want to, but I would have been a goner if you weren't there. So I have to say thanks, even if it doesn't matter to you."

"But I didn't do anything!" Alvin complained. "You make it sound like some big deal, but you probably would have woken up anyway and – "

"I'm not so sure I would have," Simon interrupted.

Alvin paused for a moment to consider that.

"The fact of the matter is that we had the same time to react, but when you woke up, you were ready to deal with it. I wasn't."

"Please, I was already up anyway," Alvin dismissed.

"You were?"

Alvin's eyes flicked wide for a second. _Whoops, probably shouldn't have said anything._"Yeah, so, like I said: no big deal."

Simon was looking at his brother intently, now leaning over with his stick discarded on the ground. "Why were you already awake?" He asked, predictably.

It wasn't such a bad question to answer, but it was definitely an uncomfortable one. Still, it was exactly the sort of thing that Alvin could count on Simon to understand. Not a secret, just something personal and a little embarrassing. "Going to make that your big question?" Alvin smirked at the idea.

"Will you still answer if I say no?"

"Hard to say! Maybe it's too personal to talk about."

Simon rolled his eyes. "Fine, then it's my question."

"Ok, then," Alvin nodded in victory. "The last few weeks, my brain's been going into overdrive to wake me up at night, like there are all these voices playing in my head until I can't stay asleep."

"So…you hear voices?"

"Only when I'm trying to sleep! And I know they're not real voices, just things I remember all jumbled up to make me feel bad." His eyes curved to Simon, "As for my question-"

"Who are the voices?"

Alvin recoiled at the follow-up. He was so close to getting away with it; he should have guessed Simon would find something wrong. "Uh, just…you know, people that have hurt me, I guess."

Simon tilted his head at the avoidance. "Such as?"

Alvin looked down and twitched his fingers, like he was mentally counting his way down the list. There was a noticeable blush on his face, even in the barely-lit night; anyone could tell he didn't like talking about these kinds of things. "W-well…like some things that I remember Mum saying, and all those people who got angry at us, and Brittany, and…uh, you…"

"Me?" Simon threw a hand to his chest for emphasis. "When did I ever hurt you?"

"I-it's not like I don't understand that you had your own problems, but you have said some…bad things about me lately. Like when we were on our way to school that first day…" Alvin strained a weak smile, then looked away.

"Oh…" the regret in Simon's voice was almost palpable as the memory came back. "I didn't think that really bothered you. I mean, I assumed it did, but I thought it was just all in my head."

"Well it wasn't."

Simon sighed, "I never did say I was sorry about everything, did I?"

"No," Alvin let out a breath of his own. "You don't have to, I know you are. My brain, on the other hand…" He actually held out one hand to weigh the point.

A light laugh from Simon drew his attention. He was being all open and Simon was laughing at him? "What's so funny?" He questioned.

"Nothing, it's just…I like this vulnerable side of you. It's easy to talk to." A smile showed he was sincere, which only seemed to agitate Alvin more.

"Hey!" The blush returned with a vengeance.

"Just stating an opinion," Simon chuckled. "Anyway, you had a question for me?"

"Oh, right!" The questioning threw Alvin off. He'd almost forgotten what he meant to ask. "It's about your…" he rolled his hand around to spell it out. The hesitance to mention it did enough to get the message across.

"'Outside interests?'"

"Yeah. I still don't get the deal with that. Who was it that made you feel that way?" Alvin asked.

Simon froze, other than a quick stutter that caught him off guard. "What…do you mean?" He decided to feign ignorance.

"Well, it must have been someone, right? It's not like you suddenly decided you liked all boys." Like it or not, it was something that was on Alvin's mind. Obviously this was something important to Simon; he wanted to know about it. Sure, it was private, but wasn't that the whole point? "…So, who was it?"

"I don't want to answer that. It's none of your business, anyway," Simon was surprisingly direct; it was painfully obvious he didn't want to answer.

Alvin scoffed. "You have to, that's my question."

"Well change your question. I don't want to answer that…and I won't."

"That's not fair!" Alvin got upset. "You've asked me plenty of hard questions, why do you get a free pass?"

A sombre look filled Simon's eyes as they locked to his brother's. "I know, it's not fair. It's just…" he couldn't come up with any excuse that Alvin would accept, so he hesitated and looked at it rationally. "I guess I can't refuse, but I'm just asking you, Alvin; please, can you let this one go?"

That begging look from his brother was too much for Alvin to turn away. He still didn't like seeing his responsible, composed little brother left so defenceless. It was so unlike him and, honestly, it hurt to see him be like that. "Ok," Alvin sighed. "If you don't want to tell me, that's ok." He didn't get what the big deal was, but he never wanted to make things any harder.

"Thanks," Simon apologized with his eyes. "Is there another question you'd like to ask?"

Alvin couldn't help but sulk. He wasn't too bothered really, but this didn't help to show that Simon wasn't just brushing him off at every opportunity. "Yeah, what does it take for you to let me help?" He didn't bother hiding the pettiness of the question.

"Please…" The question seemed to hit Simon harder than Alvin thought. "I'm not trying to shut you out."

"You could have fooled me," he crossed his arms and leant back until he was lying on the floor. He wasn't even looking at Simon anymore; he just wanted to focus on the words. "How are you letting me help, then?"

"You're just helping. I'm not sure what else I can say."

"That's not an answer and you know it," Alvin countered.

Simon closed his eyes and tried to think about it. It really was hard to put into words, but he was sure he could explain it somehow.

He moved closer to Alvin and mimicked his obstructed star-gazing, but with his arms beneath his head. "You are helping me, Alvin, even if you don't know it."

"What does that even mean?"

"Maybe it's just one of those things you can't understand."

"Of course I can't understand it! How am I meant to understand if you won't tell me anything?"

Simon turned on his arms. Alvin was staring at the ceiling, but he still had that angered look on his face. "What do you want me to say?"

"Just answer the stupid questions! It's so frustrating trying to figure out what's wrong when you won't even give me an answer."

"Is that was this is all about?"

"Uh, hello!" Alvin shot an exasperated look his way, immediately letting it melt away as their eyes met. He twisted back to the ceiling. He wanted to stay angry, but he just couldn't let it out like that anymore. "I'm just trying to help, why are you making it so hard?"

"I'm not trying to," Simon explained calmly. "I'm just trying to not think about myself right now, and I don't want you to either. I just want us to focus on you for the time being."

"Oh, so I get to be your pet project?"

"That's not what I said, Alvin. Stop twisting my words." Their eyes met again. "It's been a long day…how about we just call it a night? All you need to know is that you don't have to do anything special to help me. Just worry about yourself and I'll be fine."

They both got to their feet, autonomously putting out the fire and preparing for bed.

"That's not fair," Alvin pointed out.

"Since when has anything been fair?" The statement sounded so bleak coming from the studious brother, especially when it didn't sound like he was speaking to anyone in particular.

"What was that?" Alvin tried to get him to elaborate, but Simon seemed to be done. He headed over to the bedroom door and held it open half-way, pausing only for a second to show he'd heard anything at all.

"Nothing. Come on, it's getting late." He stepped inside and into the sudden darkness.

It was amazing how worrying Simon could be without meaning to be. The side effect to being so held-together and reserved was that even the slightest sign of something wrong would stand out, and be all the more frightening for it. Alvin swallowed at the threshold to the bedroom, almost nervous about going in.

Some part of him longed for the days where school was the biggest concern. As much as he despised most of the classes, it was a safe place where they could at least leave any big problems behind.

Or maybe he was just glorifying it. After all, there was plenty to worry about there too.

* * *

><p>"Hurry up, Jeanette!" Brittany yelled and weaved around another corner with her sister barely keeping up.<p>

"Get back here!" The kid behind them ordered, not that they were going to listen. It was just the sixth-grade hall monitor, but they weren't going to chance even that much if it meant getting thrown out. He was still big enough to pull it off, but at least they could outrun him. It's a good thing the school didn't have any real security or they'd be in serious trouble.

Brittany shot over puddle at the next corner and swung around to grab Jeanette's hand to pull her back into balance – she knew by instinct that Jeanette wouldn't be so nimble on her own. Their pursuer wasn't as quick to react; he hit the water and slid down the hall with a thud.

Jeanette called out an apology, but Brittany was too focussed to care. Right at the end of the corridor was Miss Milliken's office. They charged over and lunged at the handle.

_Click! _It was locked. Brittany's mouth shot open in disbelief. "What! I thought you sad she'd be here?"

"She should be…"

"Ahh!" Brittany wailed and started to hammer on the door in a display that anyone would swear came from a place of life-or-death. "Let us in! Let us in! Let us in! Let us…ah!" The door casually opened, tumbling the Chipette onto the floor inside. Jeanette quickly followed, for once not being the one that fell over.

"Girls?" Miss Milliken looked down, surprised to see them. The boy finally caught up, but she turned him away. "Thanks, Alex, but you can go."

"But…the school rules say-" he panted.

"Oh, don't worry yourself, I can handle it from here."

"…yes, Miss Milliken," he bowed to authority and left.

Miss Milliken casually closed the door, surprisingly calm considering the intrusion. She strolled over to her desk and rearranged the paperwork scattered over the top. "He's a nice kid. Just following the rules, it's a good life lesson to learn, you know." She turned and looked at the girls, vaguely apologetic. "You girls do know you're not allowed to be here, right? I thought I was pretty clear on that."

Jeanette helped her sister to her feet. "Um, does that mean you're going to make us leave?"

"Yes, well, there's no reason to hurry. It's not going to bother the school board to waste a few minutes." She piled the loose sheets together and moved to the other side of the desk, gesturing the Chipettes closer.

Routinely, they moved forward and stood in front of the principal's desk while she looked out the window absently. One thing to her credit was that as by-the-book as she ran things, she wasn't particularly formal or intimidating. Compared to the principal before her, she was quite warm and friendly towards her students.

"So what can I do for you girls?" She asked with her back turned, although certainly paying attention.

Brittany and Jeanette looked to each other, not sure who was meant to be talking. By default, Brittany took charge. "The chipmunks wanted us to ask you about the trial."

"They did?" Miss Milliken paused and looked at them over her shoulder, finally turning to address the issue – as she saw it, at least. "I'm sorry about the expulsion, it wasn't my first choice. If it were up to me, I'd rather have you all here where I can at least keep an eye on you, but the school board isn't as…hmm…involved," she actually did a good job of covering up whatever she really meant. Brittany opened her mouth to clarify their question, but Miss Milliken continued on her own instead. "It's just like I told Alvin. I can put my neck on the line, but I can't turn a blind eye once disciplinary action is called for and it's taken out of my hands. There are liabilities to account for, and it just isn't my call. You understand."

"Uh huh," Brittany rolled her eyes, stopping at Jeanette to gesture for her to take over.

Jeanette blinked at the sudden transition. "W-we know, don't worry. That's not what we're after, anyway."

"It isn't?" Miss Milliken raised a finger to her lips and seemed to ponder the tangent. "Well, never mind then! What's the problem?"

"Dave's making an appeal and needs people to speak for him and the boys. We thought you might be able to help us."

"I could certainly try, but I'm not sure what I could say to make a difference," she replied earnestly.

Brittany interjected with the facts as she knew them. "They just need you to say they're not wild animals, that's all."

Miss Milliken held a hand to her chin. "Hmm, well it would be nice to be able to rub it in the faces of those board members. Nothing beats a good 'I told you so'," she chuckled to herself. "Oh, and to help out my students, I mean!" She wandered over to the other end of the room by the girls. "You have Dave's lawyer give me a call and I'm sure we can sort something out."

"We appreciate it, and I'm sure the boys do too," Jeanette thanked.

"Yes, well, they can thank me by behaving next time." She effortlessly guided them over to the door and opened it for them. "I trust there'll be no problems finding your way out?"

"No, Miss Milliken," they studiously replied and made their leave. They weren't expecting to stay long anyway.

"Oh, Jeanette!" The principal called back before they got away. "You and Simon still have books overdue. Next time you're going to barge into my office, I'd appreciate it if you could bring those with you."

* * *

><p>On their way out of the school gates, the two Chipettes couldn't help but look back over the building behind them. It was a lot more…hostile than they remembered. It was kind of depressing that a place that was so bright and full of life got so quiet and unwelcoming in the blink of an eye. It was something to keep in mind – the chipmunks might be the main victims in all this, but they were getting affected by it all the same.<p>

Even Harry was getting affected by it, although it was hard to sympathize with him specifically. Even if this whole case came from a place of revenge, this affected every one of them. Before this, the 'chipmunk' angle wasn't even an issue. A gimmick, at most, but otherwise no one would bat an eye.

If this could change all that, it needed to be stopped.

"It's a little bit sad, isn't it?" Brittany mused to her sister, eyes still admiring the scene. "We make it all the way here and this happens."

Jeanette nodded. Admittedly, the only way they saw the impact of what was happening was through their friends. "Makes you wonder what it's like in Australia right now."

"Right." Brittany huffed and went to walk away. "If you're thinking we can just go back, you can forget it. I'd rather be stuck here."

Jeanette followed by her side. "It wouldn't even be an option anyway. Not the way this ruling is going."

Brittany sighed. The topic wasn't exactly lifting her spirits. "Well it's not going to happen, anyway. I'm not going to let it." There was an odd sense of conviction in her claim.

They walked on, neither of them wanting to dwell on the subject much longer. "Does this make you and Alvin even?" Jeanette asked somewhere down the path.

Brittany gave a single laugh in response. "Not yet it doesn't."

* * *

><p>With the day of the trial growing close, the two eldest Seville boys made their way towards the school, as the eldest Chipettes had done only the day before. Conversation seemed to be lacking, but there was no shortage of questions left to ask.<p>

"Who was your first crush?" Alvin asked early on.

"That girl in preschool with the black hair and earrings…Stevie, I think her name was," Simon had answered simply and returned with a question of his own. "What is your biggest fear?"

"Snakes."

"Snakes?"

"Uh huh," Alvin nodded. "You know what I'm talking about, right? There's gotta be some kind of…psychological whatever-you-call-it." It was a profoundly simple way of saying that almost being fed to snakes as a year-old managed to stick. "What about yours?"

Simon nodded in agreement. "Snakes sounds about right."

Over the last few days, they'd been able to talk a lot about themselves. The personal questions definitely got difficult from time to time, but they did learn a lot that they probably wouldn't have otherwise. A lot of the 'hard' questions didn't even seem like a big deal any more, it didn't feel like they had to keep the little secrets from each other. There were still the big ones, of course, but instead of locking them away, they could at least talk about them.

They weren't far from sight of the gates when the first tricky question came up.

"There's something that's been bothering me," he drew Alvin's attention. "You haven't tried to kiss me in a while. Why is that?"

"Oh, uh…" Alvin coyly admired the nearby gardens. "I didn't think you wanted me to."

That wasn't the answer Simon expected. "What makes you think that?"

Alvin got a sly look in his eyes and turned his brother's way. "Oh, so you do want me to?"

Simon flinched away. "That's not what I'm saying!" An awkward silence hit, for Simon at least – Alvin didn't seem bothered. Apparently the embarrassed outburst was amusing to him. "Ahem, anyway…w-what gave you that idea?"

"Oh, I don't know," Alvin rolled his eyes, "maybe it could be that you got so mad last time I tried."

"Wait, are you talking about that time at school?" Alvin half-nodded in response. "You know that had nothing to do with the kiss itself, right? It was all in the context…it was just reckless timing, that's what I was upset about."

"Reckless timing…" Alvin repeated to himself. By now he was watching the sidewalk in thought to commit that point to memory. The whole situation they were in still perplexed him. He was very much just going through the motions and trying not to mess it up, but that was obviously easier said than done. "Do me a favour and just put it in English; do you want me to kiss you or not?"

"Well…" Simon couldn't come up with a direct answer. It wasn't exactly something he wanted to say yes too, but he wanted to say no even less. Truthfully, part of him did like those little moments, but the rest was more than ready to remind him that he couldn't get attached to things like that. "Let's just say…you need to be more careful, that's all."

Even Alvin picked up on that non-answer, but he didn't question it aloud. For all he knew, Simon was just as confused about it as he was – there didn't have to be anything else to it. He figured it just meant doing what he was doing and hoping at some point he got it right.

Assuming the whole thing didn't blow over by then, that is.

Finally, they came to the school gates and peered inside, ending their volley of questions. The giant clock on the centre building ticked down the last minute of the school day, ready to call the chipmunks into action.

"Are you sure you're alright with this?" Simon stood by his brother's side.

He nodded with confidence. That's two down already and just one to go. There was no way he'd be the one to fail. Not if everyone else came through.

With this, all the pieces were about to fall into place. Everything was going exactly according to plan.

They should have known things wouldn't be that simple.


	10. Closing Arguments

_**I'm sorry this took so long to get done (I have plenty of excuses that I won't bore you with), but hopefully there's still some interest and it lives up to expectation. In the future I'll make sure to segment uploads more, but in this case I felt I should include the whole chapter in one go. It's obviously quite long though, so if you want a place where you can split it, I recommend the point where it briefly shifts to Dave's perspective.**_

_**This is the last chapter of this story, but I will be including an epilogue…within the week, most likely (possibly syncing up with the in-world timeline). It's up to you if you want it or not. It'll be short and have an extended author's note at the end, so in theory it shouldn't take long at all.**_

_**Anyway, I hope you enjoy the conclusion! **_

* * *

><p>"Siiiimon!" Alvin's extended drone called from the hallway. It was entirely unnecessary; if Simon wasn't down in the den with them already, there was only one other place he would be. Alvin pushed open their bedroom door and welcomed himself inside.<p>

Simon sat at his desk right beside the doorway, slouched over a lamp-lit textbook and ignoring his brother's calls.

"You coming? We're about to watch a movie," Simon caught Alvin's gesture back out of the corner of his eye.

"Go away, I'm busy," Simon dismissed, keeping his focus locked on the open books on the desk.

Alvin crossed his arms and wandered closer. "What's got you in such a bad mood?" He prodded.

"I'm not in a bad mood, I'm just studying," Simon explained, but predictably that wasn't enough to dissuade his brother.

Alvin moved closer and peered over Simon's shoulder, much to his discomfort. He scanned the pages of the textbook but couldn't make any sense of it. "What kind of language is that?"

Simon rolled his eyes. "It's not a language, it's algebra." He turned to spot Alvin scratching his head. Clearly it was beyond him. "That's what I thought."

"Why are you studying, uh…algebra?" He almost forgot the word already.

"As you probably don't recall, I got put in an advanced class for mathematics this year."

"Oh, math!" Alvin snapped his fingers in understanding.

Simon held back a groan. Explaining anything academic to Alvin was like teaching classic poetry to a dog. They seemed entirely incompatible, and even if he did understand the basics, he didn't show it. "Yes, math," he responded simply. He figured that surely Alvin would take the hint and leave him to it, but courtesy was never one of his strong points.

His brother kept pushing. "Can't you take a break? We're all waiting on you down there."

Simon sighed. "I don't think that'd be a good idea."

"Why not?" Alvin quickly shot around to the side of the desk, almost throwing Simon off balance.

Simon took a moment to readjust his glasses before answering face-to-face. "Not that it matters to you, but I…got a D on the last test." His own disappointment filled the confession.

Alvin raised a brow. "So?"

"**You** get Ds, Alvin. Not me."

Alvin gave him a familiar care-free smile. "I don't see what the big deal is."

Simon turned back on his chair towards the book and fell onto his hand. "I know you don't."

The change of stance didn't seem to throw Alvin off. He took a moment to reconsider what he said, but he didn't lose his stride. "I mean it was probably just a fluke, nothing to worry about."

"What makes you so sure?" Simon couldn't build up any kind of enthusiasm. Academia was his thing; his one distinct quality that made him important. How could he not be worried about letting that slip away?

"Come on, Simon, you're the smartest guy I know. You'll be fine, trust me." 'Trust me', those two little words he'd throw out whenever his confidence exceeded his wisdom. "You messing up has got to be some kind of freak accident."

Simon paused; the straight-forward approach made him actually consider the advice. "Do you really think that?"

Alvin's confident bow returned. "Would I lie to you?"

"Constantly." Still, it was something to think about. It was entirely possible that it was a once-only thing, but it was hard to count on that. He wasn't like Alvin; he couldn't just stop caring about things just because they might not be his fault. His life didn't work like that.

"Simon…"

He blinked back into focus. "What?"

"What do you say? Going to come watch the movie?" Alvin leaned over his desk.

"What happens if I refuse?"

Alvin shrugged. "I guess I'll just have to stay here until you change your mind."

"Go ahead, it doesn't bother me." Simon turned away and returned focus to the textbook. More often than not, Alvin was bluffing. This obviously didn't matter enough to him to keep to his threat.

He read through the next question. _3X + (2D+1) over 2 equals 3D, so that means X equals….equals…_his eyes slowly veered away from the page and over to his still-staring brother. To call that distracting would be an understatement. "Alright, fine," Simon closed his text-book and pressed it against the wall. "One hour, then if I still feel like studying, you'll leave me to it. Understood?"

"That's all I ask." Alvin gestured to himself modestly.

Simon conceded and turned off the light. He didn't understand why it was important for him to be a part of the night at the time, but he never really questioned it either. He just gave in to Alvin's persistence and walked by his side to the den.

He couldn't even remember the movie, but he remembered enjoying it. Family movie night was just one of those things that was easy to take for granted; in retrospect, he could see why Alvin was so insistent on not breaking the tradition.

He completely forgot about the studying.

* * *

><p>Within seconds of the school-bell ringing, the two chipmunks had made their way into the cover of the park-side bushes. They crouched into hiding, peering between the leaves at the predicted flood of students and faculty leaving school grounds.<p>

"Alvin?" Simon whispered.

"What?"

"Why are we hiding in the bushes?" Alvin was always the leader. Out of habit, Simon just ended up following him, even though it didn't seem to make any sense this time around.

"So we don't get spotted and kicked out!"

That must have seemed so obvious to Alvin. He squinted through the bushes and eyed the oblivious crowd; Simon almost didn't want to correct him. "We're already 'out'. They can't kick us out when we're not even on school grounds."

Alvin stayed quiet for a moment and intensified his spying. "I knew that!" He lied and sprung out of their camouflage.

Just in time, as luck would have it.

"Alvin?" A familiar gentle voice called him. He turned and spotted their teacher on her way towards the park with purse in hand. "What are you doing over there?" She asked curiously.

"Nothing!" Alvin brushed the dirt off his clothes anxiously. He cleared his throat and decided to start again. "Actually, what I mean is we just happened to be in the area, so we…uh…"

Alvin had drawn a blank. Why he always resorted to lying when caught off guard, Simon would never know. "We actually wanted to speak with you, is what I'm sure he means to say," Simon composed himself behind his brother with ease.

"Right…" Alvin agreed slowly. It wasn't really important now, but it did occur to him that Simon was actually **speaking** for him. He wasn't sure how he felt about that; probably annoyed, but it didn't matter. "We wanted to ask you about Dave's trial."

Miss Stone lowered herself to breach some of the obvious height difference. "Oh, I heard about that. He has his appeal coming up soon, doesn't he?"

"That's the one," Alvin confirmed.

"Well if there's anything I can do to help, please let me know."

The brothers looked to each other, as if both amazed that things were working out so smoothly. "T-there is, actually," Alvin's surprise was clear. "You could testify for him when the trial comes up; that'd be great."

Miss Stone smiled and nodded once. "I'd be happy to." She stood back to her full height and gestured to a white car to the side of the park. "Would you boys like a ride home?"

"That could be a problem," Alvin noted.

"It's no trouble at all. It'll be a lot safer than walking."

"What Alvin means is that we don't really have a home to go to," Simon explained. Again taking over for Alvin.

Miss Stone's expression quickly shifted to concern, but her voice stayed as thoughtful as ever. "What do you mean by that? Where have you three been staying?"

"Well, Theodore's staying with the Millers, and Alvin and I have been staying in their old treehouse. But there was a bit of a storm and...let's just say at least half of it is still there." Simon knew the look he got in response without her having to say a word. "It's fine, it's just not so easy to drive to."

After a moment of thought, Miss Stone simply shook her head at the situation. "I can't leave you boys to live in a place like that. Maybe you could stay with me for a little while instead."

Simon blinked. "Really?"

"Quiet, Simon!" Alvin whispered to his brother, then turned to Miss Stone with a laugh. "That would be perfect! I'm sure we'd both love-"

"Wouldn't you get in trouble for that?" Simon froze Alvin mid-sentence.

"I don't think so," Miss Stone pondered, but didn't seem too worried. "You're not students right now, so just think of it as me helping out a friend." Clearly she meant Dave – it was a good thing that she considered him a friend even if they barely spoke to each other outside of school business.

Simon caught Alvin's eye and shrugged. _I guess there's no harm in it; and it looks like Alvin's game…_ "If you're sure it'll be alright," he gave in.

The two continued a brief discussion with their teacher before following her to her car. Exactly how the discussion went was outside of their watcher's earshot, but he figured enough out to put the pieces together.

Harry made a mental note of who the boys were talking to and snuck away from the schoolyard. He didn't even feel bad about it; he tried to do things their way, but they turned him down and he had to get his money somehow. "Sorry, boys, but business is business!" He snickered to himself.

* * *

><p>Miss Stone's home was smaller than the boys expected. They were under no impression that she lived in luxury, but they'd been unknowingly spoiled by bigger houses for almost as long as they could remember. This quaint little abode was a single story to their double with no basement or attic to speak of, and the bulk of it could fit in their kitchen. It didn't lack in functionality though; although the kitchen and living rooms were small, they seamlessly blended together to conserve space. To the one side were the two bedrooms – one clearly the guest room – and to the other, the bathroom.<p>

'Humble' is the word Simon would use to describe it, were it not immaculately maintained and clean. Even the guest room was tidied to the point of resembling a hotel. He had to wonder what kind of company she'd keep that would require the place to be so orderly, or even if she had people over at all. Somehow he found it hard to imagine Miss Stone had much of an entertainer side.

Their host led them to the guest room and gestured them inside. "Will this room be alright?" She asked, as though they had any other option.

Simon stepped inside and gave the room a sweeping glance. Two single-sized beds on either side of the small room, both grey and white and almost within an arm's distance of each other. It was 'cozy', but a lot better than a drafty treetop. "I'm sure we'll be fine," Simon assured her. "We really appreciate the trouble."

"It's my pleasure," Miss Stone waved. "I only wish you boys had come to me sooner." She smiled kindly and started to turn away, but span back when the thought hit her. "Oh, but if anyone comes by, you'll have to be sure to stay quiet. I'm not allowed…" she paused and pressed a finger to her lips to consider if what she was about to say was offensive. She decided to play it safe and dismiss the issue. "Never mind, it's nothing to worry about."

As soon as Miss Stone left to give the boys a moment of relative privacy to admire their room, Simon let out a sigh. _Not allowed pets, I'm guessing._

"Simon?" Alvin looked to him curiously.

Simon pretended to inspect the room instead of facing Alvin directly. "It's nothing, don't worry about it." He knew he wasn't hiding the disappointment in his voice well anymore, but Alvin thankfully let it slide. He seemed to do that a lot lately.

* * *

><p>Amazingly, Miss Stone's home lacked a television. She had few shelves of books and a chess board, but beyond that there seemed to be nothing around to keep entertained with. It wasn't much different to being in the treehouse, really, but the impression of being watched by an authority figure kept the boys from having any meaningful conversation to pass the time.<p>

It wasn't long before dinner time put that problem aside. They were both much hungrier than they realized and were relieved to have someone there to make them dinner, but it was pretty clear that Miss Stone wasn't too knowledgeable about their diet.

When she split her serving of roast beef, Simon did his best to stomach it out of politeness, but he just about gagged on the very first mouth-full. "We don't really eat meat," Alvin explained for him. Queasiness followed pretty quickly and made talking into an unnecessary risk. That it could have such an effect was embarrassing, despite being entirely natural.

Miss Stone didn't seem too offended, although she did make sure to apologize repeatedly. The boys simply made do with the salads instead.

The whole situation felt entirely too awkward. It was as close to a family dinner as they'd had in a long time, but the night was almost silent other than the faux pas. Simon was too embarrassed to speak, Alvin was still unsure of how to act with his ex-crush, ex-teacher, and the two didn't have much to say to each other that they felt comfortable with their host overhearing.

That night was another matter entirely.

After dinner, they brushed their teeth – with unopened tooth-brushes Miss Stone happened to have in supply – and made their way to bed. Miss Stone checked on them once to make sure they were settling in, then bid them goodnight and closed their door.

The beds were incredibly inviting after having nothing but hard wood for so long, which was probably the most welcome change of all. Still, they fought off sleep as long as necessary to talk in private.

With no sound coming from outside their door, Alvin was the first to break the silence. "You still awake?" He asked, turning to his side.

"Yeah, I'm awake," Simon answered in a hushed tone.

"So… how was the beef?"

Simon laughed lightly at the unexpected question. "About as good as you'd expect from putting a dead part of a cow in your mouth."

"You'd think she would have known about that, being a teacher and all," Alvin grinned.

"It's not her fault. I guess it's not exactly common knowledge." Simon smiled when he responded, but that smile faded away quickly. He was having a lot of trouble keeping his mind in check lately. He shook it away and shifted focus back to Alvin. "So, how are you liking the accommodations?" He asked.

Alvin shrugged. "It beats sleeping on the floor."

"I can agree with that. It's a bit of an adjustment, but I suppose it's a lot better than the alternative." He turned to face Alvin, not that he could see much in the dim light without his glasses. Miss Stone was probably the biggest thing to adjust to for both of them. She was being nice and all; it was just a bit of an unusual situation to be in. Simon could only assume more-so for his brother. "Are you sure you're ok with this, Alvin? It's not too awkward for you, is it?"

"Please, Simon. If I couldn't handle being around girls who had a thing for me, I would never leave the house!"

_I wonder what that 'thing' is in his head…_Simon mocked to himself. He got a small laugh out of it, then silence started to set back in.

After a few moments, Alvin sat up in his bed. "Hey, Simon, I've been thinking…"

"Don't strain yourself."

"…I've been thinking; I still have a question left." Simon stopped and thought over it. By his count, they should have been even. Evidently, he miscalculated. "When we went to see Brittany, you said I could ask the next question, but you were the one that went next."

Simon's eyes widened. "Oh, right!" He raised his finger in recognition before giving his brother his full attention. "Alright, Alvin, what's your question?"

"That first night, after the trial…you were crying about something, weren't you?"

"You know I was," Simon pushed him to elaborate.

"Well, what were you crying about?" Alvin was sure he was on to something. Simon asked him pretty much the same question a while ago; he was just following the same train of thought, as far as he could tell. "There was more to it, wasn't there?"

Simon's enthusiasm vanished immediately. "Alvin, I…" he started to object, but somewhere along the way his thoughts took over and stopped him from finishing the sentence. He sunk back against his pillow. "I know the whole point is to ask difficult questions, but that's…"

"Have I just hit the jackpot?" Alvin was a little too excited about having finally asked the right question.

"It's just not something I can talk about, ok?" Simon turned over defensively.

Alvin watched him for a moment. Simon was practically sulking; this had to be something big. "Oh, well now I HAVE to know!"

"Alvin…" Simon spun around and paused at the curious stare his brother gave him. "You're really annoying, you know that?"

Alvin smirked and gave a shrug, "I'm coming to terms with that." His stubborn grin clashed with his brother's scowl for a moment before he realised Simon was seriously defying him. "Wait, you're not going to answer this one either, are you?"

Simon sighed and turned apologetic. "It's not that-"

"Save it!" Alvin turned and crashed onto his own pillow, thrashing his sheets in his wake. Of course Simon wouldn't talk about it. He hasn't talked about anything real so far; that wasn't going to change any time soon.

For a second, Simon could swear he caught a glimmer in his eye. "…Alvin?"

Alvin was getting fed up with the whole routine. He didn't care if it seemed childish – after everything, he deserved more than this. "Either talk to me or don't, but if you're just going to pretend, you can just leave me alone!" How could he not think he was just being toyed with? He had the right question, he was giving all the honest answers, and Simon still gave him nothing. He could say he'd open up as many times as he wanted, but it was getting painfully obvious that this was only meant to work one way.

"I'm…" Simon held out a hand to his brother only to hesitantly pull back. He kept his eyes away and blinked away at the dark – he could feel the resentment Alvin was building up. This was starting to backfire fast. The whole point was to make them closer, but his inability to involve himself was about to mess things up worse than if he'd just left things alone. He couldn't do that to Alvin – heck, he couldn't bear the thought of doing that to himself. "Alright." He finally answered. "We…we can talk."

"Right." Alvin refused to turn back, not entirely believing him.

Simon took notice. His heart seemed to ache at that, either out of worry or panic for what he had to say. Even if Alvin couldn't look at him, he had earned an explanation, no matter how deep Simon had to dig to give it to him.

He looked off into the darkness, somewhere towards the floor, and began to think. The best way he could get this out was to just bring his thoughts to the surface. Simon took a deep breath and let his voice break through the bitter silence. "Doesn't it ever bother you?" He slowly looked over to his brother, slightly relieved to see he wasn't being ignored any more. "Being the way you are, I mean."

Alvin raised a brow. "What, talented? Famous? Handsome? Help me out here."

"No, I mean…don't you ever feel…uncomfortable in your own skin?"

"Well, no." That answer didn't come as much of a surprise. "Is this about your…"

"No, it's nothing like that," Simon answered before the 'outside interests' pause. "This is something I have even less control over." He sighed, desperately wanting to open up but honestly unsure of what to say. "I know it's not anything you'd understand, but don't worry… it's not important."

"Simon," Alvin pushed gently, "come on, you can tell me."

Simon cringed at the biting pain his chest. "It's not that I'm not trying to. It's just not easy for me."

"That bad, huh?"

Simon bowed his head. "I don't even want to think about it. It's hard to explain, but it… physically hurts."

Alvin tapped his chest. "Right here?" He got a pained nod in response. "Like there's something pulling at you from the inside and you can't get it out, right?"

"That's the feeling." Simon didn't expect Alvin to know it so clearly, but he was strangely grateful that he did. "How do you know that?"

"You're not the only one who gets that, you know."

Simon slowly looked away and stared intently at the nothingness, trying to fight himself. Everything was telling him that it was alright to talk. Alvin had earned his honesty, and his trust. Even before their situation, Alvin would never abuse anything like this, no matter how trivial it seemed to him. He'd blackmail and he'd taunt with a lot of things, but personal matters were respected. Even if he could rarely ever turn to his brother, he could always count on him to at least have good intentions. Still, for some reason his heart wouldn't let him speak. "I-I think I'm just…afraid…"

"Simon," Alvin drew his attention. "You have to face your fears, remember?"

The younger chipmunk closed his eyes and held the bridge of his nose to focus. It was going to be difficult, but Alvin was right. "Ok," he swallowed. "I can do this."

Alvin smiled, not that Simon could see it.

"I-It's not that I don't trust you, Alvin…I do, but there are some things I don't like to even let myself think about, let alone talk about." His chest was aching in some stubborn attempt to keep him quiet, but Simon kept focus to drown it out. Maybe if he could just vocalize his thoughts, he could ignore how wrong it felt. "See, I kind of envy you. You can be so ambitious and free, and I really admire that."

A thick smile appeared on Alvin's face. "Well, I can't blame-"

"Please, Alvin, let me finish," Simon returned a worried, almost tortured look. Alvin took the hint and stayed quiet. "I'm not like that. I'm not like you. Not in any of the ways I want to be, at least. I'm not happy being stuck the way I am."

Alvin waited, but after a long moment of silence, he asked the question his brother clearly wasn't answering. "What way is that?"

Simon took another long breath and looked to his elder with weary eyes. "Do you know the one thing that all my heroes have in common?" Alvin thought about it, but Simon answered for him. "It's that they're all people. I'm…I'm not. We're chipmunks, and that's what bothers me."

"What? Why?"

"Because…" Simon hesitated again. "Because they're right. We are just animals. I can try to convince myself otherwise, but self-delusion isn't going to change that fact. I'm just an animal, and that's all I can ever be."

"Simon…"

"No, there's no need to say anything. I know you think I'm being crazy, but that's the way I feel."

"You ARE being crazy!" Alvin just about shouted. "You're more than that, and you know it. You're a rock star, and a genius. You've won awards, for crying out loud!"

"Right," Simon agreed with no enthusiasm. "I have won plenty of awards. But not for being brilliant; I'm just good at studying what makes other people brilliant." As much as he hated when he thought about this stuff, it happened a lot; he had plenty of time to dwell on the details. "Even if I was, it wouldn't matter. Think about it: if I were to cure all disease in the world, in ten years time, do you know what people would say?" Alvin stayed silent. "They'd say 'did you know that all disease was cured by a chipmunk?' That's what people remember, not me." He had to pause to bite down the growing tears.

He slowed his breathing to spite his aching chest and continued. Despite his efforts to stay composed, he was struggling to keep the words coming. "A-and it's not that I don't enjoy performing – I do – but I… I just want there to be more to my life than that. I just want to matter, but apparently that's too much to ask." He let out a quivering sigh, unknowingly letting the restrained tears loose. "When it comes down to it, even the smartest dog in the world is still just a dog."

Simon refused to look at Alvin in the wake of that revelation. He reached up to rub his eyes, only then realizing that he was crying. He wiped away the tears, but his mind was stuck on all the unpleasantness – he didn't have the conviction to keep them from coming back any more.

"Well you matter to me," Alvin assured.

Simon smiled; he couldn't deny that was somehow a comfort. "I know. I appreciate it. It's just..it's just not the same." He felt ashamed for saying that. It was true, but it seemed so selfish. Regardless, he didn't have the energy to go on any longer. "S-so that's why I was crying," he summarized and forced himself to be steady. "I don't like to think about this stuff, but that night just brought it all back, and I didn't know what to do.

"By my count, that makes us even. I don't want any more questions…is that ok?" Simon pleaded.

Alvin nodded sadly. "Yeah, ok…"

With that, it should have been over, but that couldn't be the end of it. Just thinking about it dragged back everything that Simon wanted so desperately to forget. To think that his whole life was just one big gimmick, and nothing he could do would make it worth any more than that. He could dedicate his whole life to a cause, but what would it matter? At best he'd be 'the smart chipmunk' and reduced to trivia. That wasn't fair.

Simon fought back the end of a whimper and almost fell forward on his bed. He didn't want to be getting emotional in front of his brother again, but he couldn't help it. It was a selfish problem to have and a ridiculous one to dwell on, and yet the thought of it was just too painful to bear. What was the point if it all ended up counting for nothing?

He slowly drew his eyes open to the sight of Alvin kneeling on his bed. It barely phased him that he didn't hear him coming. Simon looked at him, confused. "Al-"

"Don't," Alvin interrupted with a newfound sternness. "Stop talking…" He took his brother's hand and gently pulled him closer. The tears in Simon's eyes were clear, even without any light, but it was what was behind them that made Alvin act. It was that sadness he kept seeing in his brother; whether Simon knew it or not, he was crying out for help.

Alvin tightened his grip and guided Simon towards him. They locked together in the dark, pressed firmly together in a kiss. Both boys gave into the heaviness of their eyes and felt every aching second in full.

Simon gave in completely. The painful loneliness melted away in an instant and left him wavering in some strange serenity. It was almost overwhelming jumping from one extreme to the next, but that only made the feeling that much more significant. The sense of relief was breathtaking…and something else. He couldn't even cry anymore with Alvin there to keep the tears down.

Slowly, they both drifted away. They seemed to float there for just a moment before reality sank back in.

Alvin blushed at the bewildered look on his brother's face. "Was that bad?" He panicked. "I didn't mean to… I mean, it just seemed like – "

Simon's voice silenced him. "No… it was perfect." _Perfect…_Simon's mind caught on that word.

Alvin fidgeted slightly and turned from the glimmer in Simon's eyes that he assumed was still left from the tears. It took a few moments of apparent awkwardness before he excused himself. "Goodnight, Simon," he whispered as he climbed back into his own bed.

"Goodnight…Alvin," Simon replied slowly; he almost stumbled over the words. He laid back on his own pillow and absently brushed the cold from his cheeks. His heart was still pounding, but it wasn't painful anymore. Something was different.

* * *

><p>At some point in the night, Simon stirred awake. He looked at the ceiling and let out a quiet sigh. The night was peaceful and the bed – as solid as it probably was in reality – felt like a cloud. There was a lot going on in his life, but right then he should have been at ease.<p>

There wasn't anything really bothering him that he knew of beyond the usual. It was kind of peculiar that he couldn't sleep through the whole night. The last time this happened was way back when – _oh, of course…_ Back when he got hung up on those unpleasant thoughts right after Dave's conviction. It figured he'd get caught up in that thought-cycle again.

A shuffling to his side caught his attention. Alvin, of course. Just the sight of him seemed to help Simon put the unpleasantness aside, which was something that didn't come so easily. As much as he hated having to bring that stuff up again, he felt strangely unburdened now that he had someone to share it with.

For whatever reason, he decided to climb out of bed and move closer to his brother's side. It was just something about the mood of the night – he wanted to be able to focus on him more clearly.

Simon watched over his brother as he slept; mouth half-open in slumber. Alvin had been – dare he think it – sweet to him lately. Despite all the arguments and brawls they'd gotten into over the years, there was still this connection between them. It was something intangible, but significant all the same. He didn't even know what that 'something' was, but its existence was undeniable.

He smiled at the sleeping figure. To think that behind that big ego there was this kind and caring boy…

Simon gently reached out a hand to Alvin's cheek. He had to touch him, just enough to feel that he was there, but…

He pulled away. That was crazy; he could see that Alvin was there and he had no other reason to risk waking him up. Alvin had enough trouble getting to sleep without being woken up for nothing. It was completely illogical, but still, the urge was there. A lot of illogical urges were there.

Simon cupped his hand and turned back to bed. _What is wrong with me? _He thought, collapsing back onto his pillow.

The bed was warm and welcoming. It should have put him to sleep in an instant, but his newly incomprehensible thoughts ran wild and kept him awake.

* * *

><p>It was early morning when Simon decided to get out of bed. He probably drifted off a few times during the night, but trying to sleep was a chore. As soon as the time of day deemed it acceptable, he threw in the towel and settled for what little rest he had.<p>

Weary-eyed, he crept out of the bedroom, mindful of his still-sleeping brother.

"Good morning, Simon," Simon jumped at Miss Stone's greeting. "You're up early," she noted, looking at the clock.

Simon rubbed his eyes. "I didn't really feel much like sleeping."

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that."

Simon yawned and wandered over to the table with his ex-teacher. The tiredness was obvious in his manner and he didn't really have any idea of what to do now that he was up, so it seemed like as good an option as any.

Miss Stone poured some milk and cereal into a glass bowl and pushed it across to him. "Here, have some breakfast. It'll make you feel better," she offered. "Are you alright to have milk?"

Simon leant on his hand and pushed around the cereal with a spoon. "Don't worry, milk is fine."

"I'm sorry I didn't ask last night," she apologized again. "I had no idea you boys couldn't eat meat."

"You can blame biology for that. It's not that we can't eat meat, we just…don't." Dave had never given them anything of the sort to eat. He didn't abstain from it himself, but he never ate it at family dinners. It was evidently a 'chipmunk' thing that he'd come to live with.

He'd probably give them meat if they really wanted it, but they all simply went along with the diet he raised them on.

Simon sighed. He missed Dave.

Miss Stone misread the reaction, but she wasn't far off in connecting the dots. "Simon, I overheard what you two were talking about last night."

_Oh no…_Simon mentally groaned.

"I didn't mean to listen, but I did hear what was bothering you." She gave a concerned gesture, despite Simon avoiding her gaze. "If you ever feel like talking about it, you know you can come to me. Or I'm sure Dave or Victoria would want to help."

_Victoria? She must mean Miss Milliken. _The informality threw him for a moment. "I appreciate the thought," he turned to her, "but I'd really rather not talk about it. In fact, I'd rather keep it private all together," he hinted cautiously. He was a lot calmer than he expected given the confrontation, but he still didn't want to go down that path.

Miss Stone nodded. "Ok, Simon. If that's the way you feel about it. But you really should talk to someone."

"Don't worry," Simon smiled at his bowl. "I have someone I can talk to." He remembered the feeling from that night. He never would have thought he could confide in Alvin before. This whole experience had really opened his eyes. If he hadn't taken that gamble by being with Alvin in the first place, who knows how much they would have missed out on?

On that note, his smiled dropped. He has someone he can talk to for now. How long that'll last is another matter.

* * *

><p>The prison walls were something special in their own way. Cold, dreary and monotonous, yet somehow comforting. By all accounts it was a miserable sight, but it was constant and eventually started to carry a sense of security.<p>

Dave leaned back on his cell-room bed, turned and pressed to the wall. At first he was a mess; both cautious and overly assertive, though mostly just restless. Over time, that changed; as much as he hated being stuck in there while his boys were all alone in the world, he started to adjust to the thought that there was very little – if anything – he could do for them from where he was. He never put them out of his mind, but he had his worry in check. Mostly.

It definitely helped that they seemed to be coping well on their own. Dave had no idea how he could have handled things if he didn't get to see them at all. The visits really were the saving grace of the whole situation. One or two in-mates resented him for the special treatment, but that didn't bother him in the slightest.

"Hey, Seville! You awake in there?" The perpetually-damaged voice of his neighbour – who went by the name 'Morris' – called through the cell wall.

Dave sighed. He wasn't in the habit of shouting through walls that early in the morning out of courtesy. "I'm awake," he responded anyway, keeping his voice barely louder than normal.

"You've got that appeal coming up soon, don't ya?"

"That's right, just two days now," Dave was counting down to it for a while. Rarely out loud if he could help it.

"Good! Guess that means you'll be seeing those boys of yours soon." A silence took over when Dave had nothing to say in response. Morris waited a few seconds, then continued on his own. "We're sure going to miss you in here. In fact, a couple of us guys are getting together to do something REAL special for ya…"

Dave was almost too afraid to ask what that was. He knew he wouldn't get a good answer out of it, but he swallowed and asked anyway. "Gee, like what?"

"Oh, I don't want to spoil the surprise. You'll know soon enough."

* * *

><p>Time seemed to move fastest when Miss Stone was out teaching. Alvin and Simon were predictably left home until after school hours, tasked with entertaining themselves. Strangely enough, that didn't turn out to be much of a problem.<p>

There was a distinct lack of things to do, but being in each other's company – and out of the unintentionally watchful eyes of their host – made the situation more pleasant than anything they'd had in a while. Not exactly the most enjoyable; it was more that it was the first time throughout the whole ordeal where they had no obligations to worry about.

After a short snack, they set up the chess board on the lounge table. It was an activity they both enjoyed – Alvin for the competition and Simon for the tactical plays. They bounced back and forth, one-upping each other and merrily chatting between turns. It occurred to Simon that despite the stressful situation they were in, they were completely at ease with each other.

He moved a bishop to claim Alvin's knight, then paused with his hand above the board. "Alvin, about what we talked about the other night…"

Alvin tore his eyes away from the board and towards his brother. Simon didn't seem to be getting torn up at the mere mention of it, but he still seemed at least a little reluctant to talk. "I thought you didn't want to think about it," Alvin commented.

"I-I don't, but I think I owe you an explanation." Simon settled back on his seat. His tone was sincere, not depressed like last time – something he could pick up on himself. "It's actually about one of the earlier questions you asked me."

"Huh?" Alvin shifted a pawn. "Which one?

"The one where you asked what I got out of this," Simon clarified. He'd spent a lot of time pondering the situation. After all, they had a lot of quiet and it was a better thought than the alternative. "Well I did give you my answer then, but I think there's more to it. That…stuff that I don't like to think about comes up a lot, but I have noticed that I can ignore it when I'm with you." He swooped the pawn with a rook. "Which isn't to say you're some magic cure, of course. It's just that when I have to worry about keeping you out of trouble, I don't worry about myself as much. In a weird way, I guess I just needed a little chaos to keep my mind off things, and that's where you came in."

Alvin twiddled his fingers above the board, searching for a piece. "Kinda funny that I needed you to boss me around, then."

"Oh, Alvin, that was almost poetic," Simon jested. _Chaos and order. Clever._

"What do you mean?"

"Never mind. Just make your move."

Alvin picked up a piece and moved it across the board.

Simon grinned. "A fatal mistake, my little friend," he taunted and took the piece with one of his own. "See, this is why you never win. I'm always thinking three steps ahead while you're-"

"Checkmate."

Simon blinked. "W-what?" He scanned the board. _He's right. _"How did you-"

"Easy," Alvin shrugged smugly. "You're always thinking ahead, so I just have to be in the moment." He eyed his brother – the silence meant he won, so he countered with a lecture of his own. "You know, you really should learn to be more impulsive if you want to be a winner like me."

"Oh, is that so?"

"Well I did win, didn't I?"

"Touche," Simon laughed. "And how long do you think that will last?"

"Please, Simon," Alvin gestured to himself with a smirk, "Ain't nothin' gonna break my stride. Nobody's gonna slow me down."

"Oh no?"

Alvin grinned. "I've got to keep on moving."

The pair shared a laugh. "If you're so confident, then how about a rematch?" Simon proposed.

"You're on!" They both got to work on resetting the board. For the first time in ages, their worries were completely out of mind.

In that insignificant moment, they were content with how things were.

* * *

><p>It was finally the day of the appeal. Dave had done everything he could to prepare himself; he kept out of trouble, kept in contact with his lawyer, and even had a substantial amount of help from his boys on the outside. They even opted for what his lawyer referred to as an 'expedient trial'. In essence, it would play out the same as last time. They'd present their testimony on the same case, with the same crime being pursued and with a single judge to sway. The catch was in the timing.<p>

Usually a trial would last days, or even weeks, but this time they'd have the hearing conducted in a single session. It involved a bunch of legal maneuvering that Dave didn't totally understand, but the idea was that they could blindside the prosecutors with their testimony before they'd have time to reorganize themselves.

It was usually a risky move, since the defence would be at just as much of a disadvantage, but the 'animal rights' group was about to lose a great deal of ammunition, and that was worth exploiting while the chance was there.

Mr Parrish ushered Dave into the passenger's seat of his car before taking a seat of his own. Dave wasn't considered to be violent nor an escape risk so security was minimal. "Today's the big day. Excited?" Mr Parrish asked, pulling out onto the street.

"More nervous, actually," Dave replied honestly. "I just want this whole ordeal to be over with."

"Not getting along with the other in-mates?"

"Oh, no, they've been very nice to me. It wasn't at all what I expected."

"You expected big, scary men out for blood?"

Dave shrugged, "Well, yeah."

"Ha! I hope it gave you a new perspective. Most of the people in there did barely anything more than what you're accused of. It's mostly just a bunch of men who make bad decisions."

"I guess I misjudged them," Dave admitted. "But I still would much rather stay at home with my boys."

Mr Parrish hummed in agreement. "You know, it's quite the hole someone's dug for you. I can't imagine you brought on a grudge like that."

"It probably wasn't me he had a problem with. I don't even remember the guy," Dave had been informed of JB's involvement, but he'd never met him or even heard his name that he could recall. It wasn't exactly unheard of for him to get caught up these issues anyway though, and it was usually for the same reason. "It was probably something that Alvin got up to."

"Alvin…is that the boy in red?"

"That's right."

"That little kid? I can't picture him hurting a fly!"

"Well no, but you haven't seen him when he gets worked up, believe me. And he gets worked up all the time." Dave started to reminisce over their earlier years. "One time, he stole all the money from the house and buried it in the back yard. It took me days to figure out what was going on, and just as long to dig it all back up."

Mr Parrish used the brake at a red light to send Dave a curious glance. "What was he up to?"

"That's just the thing," Dave laughed, "he thought he was planting a money tree. It must have been something he saw in a cartoon. He even took the time to water it before I caught on." Mr Parrish shared a solitary chuckle of his own. "Alvin's not a bad kid. He's just…excitable, that's all. Maybe too excitable, but he doesn't mean to misbehave."

"Excitable, you say? You could have fooled me. He barely said a word when he came by to visit you. I don't think he ever smiled."

Dave sighed. "He hasn't seemed himself lately, has he?" He asked, even though Mr Parrish had no way of answering. "I don't know what's gotten into him."

"Oh, I don't think it's so mysterious." Mr Parrish glanced him a smile, then returned focus to the road. "He's a kid that's losing his father; that kind of thing can get to children at his age."

"Why would it only be Alvin?"

"I wouldn't know where to start guessing about that. But children react differently; they're probably all affected in one way or another."

Dave turned to his escort with intrigue. "You seem to know a lot about this sort of thing."

Mr Parrish nodded dismissively. He kept driving, not giving a proper answer for a while. Right when Dave seemed to drop the issue, he spoke up. "Has your lawyer told you that I'll be testifying for your defence?"

"Uh, no, he didn't mention it." Dave seemed curious. "Can I ask why?"

Mr Parrish seemed to be hesitating, but it was always at least slightly hard to read his expression. "Because, Seville, I believe you're innocent. I've made enough bad decisions in my life to recognize them, and I don't see any of them on you."

Throughout the rest of the trip, Mr Parrish explained himself to Dave. He had no hidden agenda, but his motives seemed pretty clear when the personal stories came out.

"I'm a father too, you know. I had two boys just like yours; not twins, but they were a happy pair. We were a good family once. Happy kids, stay-at-home wife, and I was starting to get promotions as a prison officer.

"But then the promotions kept coming. I was a good guard, and I always stayed back when worked needed me, but my wife…she was never too pleased with that. We needed the money, but I kept putting the prison first and eventually it just became too much."

Mr Parrish explained that he was barely ever at home, so it didn't seem like a big change of pace when his family left him. The nights were quieter, and work was getting to be more important by the day; in theory, nothing was that different.

"What about your boys?" Dave asked as they pulled into the parking spot.

"I still saw them from time to time, but work made that hard for them. Now they're grown up and just moved on with their own lives."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's alright, I can live with my mistakes. I wouldn't talk about them if I couldn't." Mr Parrish unbuckled his seatbelt and leant back on his seat for a moment. "The point is that I let my work life come before my family, and I lost it all. You, Mr Seville," he turned to him, "there's not a doubt in my mind that your boys come first."

"Thanks…" Dave undid his seatbelt and left the car with his escort. "I hope the judge sees it the same way," he added.

* * *

><p>Alvin and Simon had a lot of time to think on their way to the courthouse. They were confident that they could win this; they'd put in too much effort not to. The plan was going smoothly, even more than expected. Still, they both had lingering doubts.<p>

What happens if they're wrong? If everything works out, they go back with Dave, and things go back to normal. Otherwise…

It occurred to both of them that their current arrangement seemed to be working. They were getting along fine staying with Miss Stone, and as far as they could tell Theodore was doing fine with the Chipettes; if the worst happened, it wasn't like they were unprepared.

They weren't too keen on the idea of putting Miss Stone in the position of keeping them around, though. They were sure she'd do it, and that they could adjust, but it really put her under obligation.

Still, it was an option. At least while they were with her, they seemed to be able to get away from their problems.

"Alvin! Simon!" Theodore came running down the courthouse halls and dove into a three-person hug.

"You two look energetic this morning," Brittany noted, walking in Theodore's wake with her sisters. "What happened?"

It was only at that point that Simon remembered they were meant to be fighting. He looked across at Alvin over their little brother's shoulder and gave a warm laugh. "I guess we just worked out our differences."

"Really?" Theodore looked up to them hopefully.

Alvin nodded. "Really."

"That's great!"

They didn't need to keep up the charade any longer. Enough time had passed, and they were both finally well-rested enough that they couldn't even fake being exhausted with each other.

Jeanette stepped closer to be heard over the passers-by. "How did you two go with Miss Stone?"

"Oh!" Simon forgot they'd never reported back. "Everything's all arranged on our end. We've actually been staying with her the last few days."

"Really?" Brittany asked. "Then where is she?"

"She had to go and check in with Dave's lawyer. I'm sure we'll see her once we're inside."

Brittany took a breath and filled her stance with confidence. "Well, we better get in there. They could be starting any moment now."

Simon doubted that, but that wasn't his first concern. "Wait, you don't have to stay if you don't want to."

Their welcoming party was already on the move down the hall. Brittany looked over her shoulder. "This involves us too. We're staying."

Simon let out a breath of his own and followed from behind with his brother. They knew the room to go to, and even if they didn't, the Chipettes did, so finding their way was no problem.

As they came to the entrance, Simon noticed Alvin had stopped behind. He turned. "Alvin?"

Alvin was frozen. He threw his hands into his pockets and focussed a pained glare at the floor. He forced a few breathes and tried to compose himself, but making his legs work was trickier.

"…Alvin, are you ok?"

He let out a gasp at Simon's touch. He didn't notice him close the distance. "Y-yeah. I'm fine."

"You don't look fine."

Alvin shrugged him off and pressed on into the courtroom. He was just trying to keep moving; he didn't need Simon there trying to help him right now.

Simon stood and watched for a moment. It was strange; Alvin was acting the same way he did when they went to the prison. _So it wasn't the prison you were afraid of?_ Simon pondered. He couldn't deny that he was concerned, and maybe a little curious, but he put that aside for the time being. He followed his brother inside.

Jeanette gently called out to Simon from her aisle seat half-way down the room. "Simon!" He stopped by her side. "Are you sure things are alright with you two?"

Simon nodded. "Yes, we're completely fine now."

"What about Alvin? He didn't look so good."

_So it's that obvious. _"He's just…nervous I guess."

Jeanette nodded slowly in response. Simon could tell that didn't put her mind to rest, but it was enough for now. "That makes sense." She was clearly unconvinced. Simon started to walk away when she called to him again. "Simon…" He paused and looked back. "Look after him, ok?"

He smiled, despite the strange request. "I will," he promised and continued on. He moved to the last row and took a seat beside Alvin – right behind where Dave would sit – and waited for the trial to start.

* * *

><p>Dave arrived a few minutes later and took his designated seat, turned over the divider to greet his boys. The Chipettes watched from afar, but couldn't make out anything that was said. The expressions and mood said enough on their own.<p>

Dave wore a pleasant smile that still managed to expose his worry. He said something-or-other to the boys and gave a reaching hug to the youngest. Even with Theodore's back turned, the happiness there was clear. Simon, typically, barely left his seat, but still managed a happy greeting and a hug.

The curious exception to the happy reunion was Alvin. They could barely see the top of his cap over the back of the seat. If he were any more withdrawn he'd be burrowing into the wood.

Brittany kept her eyes fixed to him. His brothers were practically celebrating while he could barely move…it was too obvious that something was going on.

"You expect us to wear prison clothes?" Alvin popped up as Dave handed each of the three a black vest. His eyes widened immediately at his own outburst and he sat back in his seat in a sulk.

"Come on, Alvin. The guys made these especially for you." Dave re-stated. Simon had explained in their last visit that they couldn't use their old vests. They ended up scrapping them as makeshift bandages early on to help their feet through all the walking – a trick they learned from Dave, actually.

Alvin continued to sulk. "Fine, I'll wear it," he conceded and slowly pulled it on over his jersey, never letting his gaze drift back to his father.

The strange manner didn't go unnoticed. "Alvin, are you-" Dave was silenced by the call of the bailiff. He wanted to find out what was wrong, but as the man made very clear: the court was in session.

* * *

><p>The judge took his seat and resided over the courtroom. He recited a long line of legal jargon before beckoning to the Defence – represented by Dave's lawyer – and the Prosecutor – JB's slimy minion – to do the same. They presented opening speeches, basically covering what points they wanted to prove. How Dave was a good, well-meaning father, or how he was an abusive musician out for money and various other nonsense. Simon was the only one really picking any meaning out of it, and even he got tired half way through.<p>

Finally, the Prosecutor brought out their first 'witness'; JB himself. That was unexpected, to say the least.

"Mr Jeremiah Burns, could you please explain to the court your experience with the accused," his proxy-lawyer gestured to the room.

"Certainly," JB's thick Texan accent stuck out immediately. "Ah was lookin' to acquire some property belongin' to that there man's parents," he pointed to Dave.

"Go on."

"It was all arranged and done in the full spirit of the law, but what I did'n count on was that he would send them 'boys' of his afta my family!"

Quiet gasps filled the court. "What exactly did they do?"

"Well, ya see, he made 'em perform at my little darling's birthday party as a distraction, then they made off with my favourite car and voided the deal. Even worse than that, they vandalized the place right under mah nose!"

_That's a lie!_ Simon argued to himself. _He tried to scam Grandma and Grandpa Seville, we were just fixing it!_

"One more question: This property you were trying to acquire; what exactly was it?" Simon knew what was coming next.

JB crossed his arms. "A farm, ah course. Where else would you keep your animals?"

Alvin managed a slow turn to Simon. He knew that'd get to him, but he hid it well. He kept silent and seemed to ignore the statement entirely.

After that, it was their lawyer's turn to ask the questions. This was the moment they needed.

"Your company is financing this lawsuit, isn't it, Mr Burns?" he prodded.

"That's right."

"And you stated that you blame the defendant and his boys for losing out on a business acquisition?"

"Those animals of his were entirely responsible! So yes."

The lawyer turned to the judge to deliver the blow. "Your honour, this organization has pressed no similar charges in their history. It's clear that this case is targeted directly at my client and his boys, and therefore broad evidence should not be permitted."

The judge pondered for a second and looked down at JB. "Do you deny these claims?"

A chilling smile spread on JB's face. "Oh course not, your honour," he responded calmly. "We're simply keeping our business direct for now, and ya gotta start somewhere."

The judge nodded.

"Simon, what just happened?" Alvin whispered to his side. He thought that was what they were hoping for, but Simon seemed worried.

"That…that was too easy," Simon whispered back, eyes locked to JB's wicked grin. "That's what we wanted to happen, but…I think he saw it coming." He was definitely worried; that element of surprise was their biggest advantage. Something went wrong.

* * *

><p>Next up was Sy Heaves – Dave's boss. Unfortunately, he was summoned by the prosecution.<p>

"They're costing me a fortune," the large, bald man slammed his hand on the counter for emphasis. "This trial alone is costing thousands! Those boys do more damage than any rock group I've ever seen, and now this? I say either let him go or make him stay, but do it now before he wastes another dollar!"

_You parasitic little protozoa!_ Simon cursed.

"And about his…ahem," the Prosecutor made to laugh, "'boys?'"

"What do I care? Throw them in the zoo and maybe they'll be worth something."

Alvin threw his head into his hands and groaned. He knew Simon would be hurt by hearing something like that, but he didn't expect that he would be too. That was a low blow.

Simon put a hand on his brother's back and pat him for comfort.

Their lawyer stepped up in defence. "Mr Heaves, would you describe the group as unruly?"

"Does that mean destructive and out of control? Then of course I would!"

"How, then, have they remained in your service for so long?"

"That's all Seville's doing," Sy admitted. "He can keep the little brats under control somehow, and they do manage to turn a profit of-"

"Nevermind the financial details," he hushed. "How does Mr Seville keep them controlled?"

Sy pondered for a moment. He actually seemed to be out of ideas. "I don't ask those questions, I just sell records."

"So you've never known the defendant to be abusive?"

"Well no, I –"

"Thank you, that'll be all." Their lawyer turned and left the slightly dazed witness to his leave.

* * *

><p>"Harry?" Simon gasped under his breath.<p>

"And your last name?" The judge asked for clarification.

"It's just Harry. I'm kinda like Cher," Harry explained in his naturally strained voice. The judge nodded and motioned for the Prosecutor to proceed.

"Harry," the slimy man began. "What can you tell the court about those in the defendant's care?" It was a roundabout way of referring to the boys.

Harry transitioned into a rehearsed gesture of thought. "Not much, but I did have them stay with me for a little while."

"Why is that?"

"Well it was obvious that they were better off with one of their own kind." Simon tensed at the start of the spiel. "It wasn't so different, you know. I had them perform for just as much as they'd normally get, but I can understand what they're going through."

"And what about the defendant? Is he not capable of that himself?"

Harry switched to a look of hesitance. "Gosh, I don't really want to criticize, but I could never tell a lie. He's just not cut out for it; he doesn't know how to treat them. Besides, even when I was looking out for them, they were barely holding it together.

"If you want my opinion, I think they put on a strong face around him, because we're not cut out for that kind of thing. I don't know how he gets them to work for so long; it isn't natural."

Alvin gritted his teeth and cursed in a whisper. "Harry, you no good slimeball!" He turned quickly to his brother. "Simon, why aren't we stopping him? He can't say things like that, can he?"

Simon sat there, eyes locked to the scene infront of him. He was almost paralyzed by it. "He…he can't."

"Then why isn't our lawyer doing anything?"

"Because that's exactly what they want." Simon's expression turned grim. "Harry's there to convince everyone that we're just animals, even though by their own rules that means he can't testify."

"So?"

"If we stop him, that's like us agreeing with them. Either he gets to explain why we're animals because we disagree, or he doesn't because we agree. He'd be sacrificing our rights by objecting." Simon's chest tightened – they were trapped.

Harry rambled on and the Chipettes continued to watch, but at that point they were focussed more on their friends in front row. They were all as behaved as could be expected, although it was easy to see that none of them liked being there. Jeanette, in particular, took notice.

She knew from talking to Simon how difficult this had to be on them. As well mannered as they were, it had to be eating them up inside to have to just sit there and hear their world being turned upside down…again. Only this time they knew the stakes first-hand, and in some odd way it was more personal.

Jeanette had to wonder if that made things better or worse for them – Alvin and Simon specifically. She was only taking guesses at what they were feeling, but between the two of them, they had a way to open up without realizing it. They'd been like that since the day she met them, even though they never seemed to be aware of it.

"Do you think they realize how close they are?" Brittany whispered, as though reading her mind.

Jeanette watched the two brothers, framed by the heads of strangers in the way. "I don't think so. I mean, there's obviously a connection there, but I don't think either of them notices how much they let each other in."

Brittany turned suddenly with her brow raised. "What? No, I mean look how close they are! They're practically holding hands!" He gestured over to them.

"Oh, right," Jeanette adjusted her glasses. "That's what I meant."

Brittany wasn't far off. The two were physically much closer that they realized. They weren't holding hands, and even if they were, no one behind them could see, but it would only take another inch.

The prosecution continued. "So the concerts?"

Harry shook his head sadly. "Just terrible!"

Without warning, Alvin shot out of his seat and around his brother, then stormed from room. He moved quickly; most people didn't seem to notice he was mobile until he was half way out.

Just as abruptly as he started, he fired out the door.

Simon didn't even have time call him back or catch his face – but then again, it was mostly hidden anyway. It broke his focus on the trial for a moment and left him looking back over the courtroom in Alvin's wake.

His eyes locked with Jeanette's for a moment. There didn't have to be any further communication; he caught the message and got up from his own seat.

Theodore looked up at him with worry. "What's going on?" He whispered.

Simon spared a quick survey to see if they were being watched – they were, but the trial carried on anyway. "Don't worry, just…stay here. I'll go check on him." He made his own way down the middle of the courtroom and back out into the halls. Alvin was way ahead of him and moving fast, but he was pretty sure he knew where he'd end up.

* * *

><p>Alvin burst through the bathroom door, at least thankful that there was no one else around. His eyes squeezed shut and he dug his fingers into the fabric of his clothes; anything to tear the pressure away.<p>

The door creaked open and closed again behind him. He knew without turning that it was Simon.

"Alvin? Are you ok?" Simon's voice crept up from behind.

"Do I look ok?" Alvin snapped.

Simon folded his arms. "I can't tell. Turn around, let me see." Alvin - still hunched and slightly shaking - obeyed and slowly turned to face him. Simon's arms dropped. "Alvin, you look like you're about to explode…"

Alvin groaned and grabbed his stomach. "Argh! That's exactly what I feel like!"

Simon took a step closer, just in case he needed to reach Alvin in a hurry. "I think you'd better sit down," he advised.

"No, I'm fine!" Alvin shook his head – a gesture that would have been more powerful if he wasn't still clutching his belly. "I just need a moment, that's all."

"A moment for what?"

Alvin drew a blank. When he thought about it, he didn't even know what he meant. He was just doing whatever he had to to keep it down. "Nothing, just go back to the trial…I'll be fine."

Simon stood defiant. "I'm not leaving you like this." He got an exasperated groan in response. It was beyond obvious that something was wrong; why would Alvin even bother trying to hide it? "Alvin, what's wrong?"

The shaking chipmunk did his best to brush the question off – he physically twisted at the words to push them away. Naturally, it didn't work. "'What's wrong'? Weren't you even paying attention?" He pulled his arms away from himself and deflected.

Surprisingly, Simon didn't bite. Alvin nearly froze at the continued concerned gaze his brother gave him. He blinked and stood down. Simon wasn't there to fight him, and even if he was, Alvin didn't really feel like fighting.

He tightened a hand into a fist and forced his eyes to the side. "I'm just a little angry, ok?" He waited for a response, but only felt silence creeping up. "And…I'm scared…"

"Scared?" Simon asked carefully. "What is there to be afraid of?"

"Come on, Simon. You saw how it's going in there. Tell me you aren't thinking it too." He turned back from his avoidance. "Simon…what if we lose?"

Simon noted the water building behind Alvin's eyes. He was keeping it in, but just barely. Simon had thought about it too, for a lot of the time they were in there. Things weren't looking good. Every advantage they had was turned against them, and even though they hadn't brought out their side, JB's seemed way ahead of them in planning. He didn't even want to think about what it'd mean to lose this now – in fact, all his energy went into avoiding that.

"I'm sorry."

"Huh?"Simon snapped back into focus. Did Alvin just apologize?

Alvin wasn't looking at him. He seemed genuinely ashamed, but Simon couldn't figure why. "This is all because of me. I get that it doesn't change anything, but I'm sorry."

"What, for this whole case?" Simon was stunned. "It's not-"

"Don't tell me it's not my fault!" Alvin snapped. " I'm not a baby, Simon, and I know you blame me too so just drop the act."

Simon shook his head. "I don't blame you for –"

"I said don't!" Alvin interrupted again. "You say that, but deep down you do. I know it."

It was obvious that Alvin didn't want to hear excuses. His insistence that he was to blame was painful to hear. But as much as Simon hated thinking it, Alvin did have a tendency to get them all into trouble. Some part of him knew that maybe if Alvin wasn't so headstrong, none of this would have happened. "…I guess, maybe deep down…"

Alvin let out a muffled noise – almost a whimper – and turned quiet. "You weren't supposed to actually say it…"

Watching his brother on the verge of tears brought Simon there himself. That was probably the wrong thing to say, but he couldn't just take it back. "I…I don't mean to…I know you didn't want…"

"But it happened anyway," Alvin jumped in. He tried to do the right thing – he really did – but it always backfired. Usually it didn't matter, but this time he'd really done it. He ruined everything. "I was just trying to help…"

Simon wiped away his first threatening tear. "I know." That last layer of defence Alvin had left was falling away – it was like watching his brother falling apart.

Alvin was getting erratic. He shuffled with his hands and seemed to keep shifting focus to nothing in particular. He couldn't help but start to ramble; any little justification he had just started to spill out in the hope that someone would listen. "I never wanted anything like this to happen! I just…just try to have some fun or…or do the right thing and…"

"Alvin," Simon tried to interrupt.

"…and it just all falls apart!" His panic kept building. "I…I try to be good…I can't help if it sometimes it doesn't work out…"

"Alvin…"

"…and now Dave's life is ruined and it's all…"

"Alvin!" Simon grabbed his shoulders and spun Alvin to face him.

The little chipmunk froze in his brother's hold. "What?" he said quickly.

"You can't keep talking like that." Simon shied away himself for a moment. He didn't mean to snap, but Alvin was really beating himself up over this and it wasn't fair – on either of them. "You're meant to be the brave one. How am I meant to get through this if you can't?"

Alvin looked up with glistening eyes, trying to read Simon the way he'd always read him. Simon looked so hurt, but he couldn't understand why. Tears were starting to run down his cheeks. "What…?"

Simon took a breath. "I…I don't know what will happen if we lose…but we'll be alright," he knew he was trying to convince himself as much as Alvin. "We always manage…somehow. A-and no one's going to blame you if this doesn't work out." Alvin didn't seem the slightest bit convinced. "Well…ok, they might, but they'll forgive you."

"Dave won't…" Alvin sniffed.

"Dave too. Come on, Alvin; when has he ever not forgiven you?"

Alvin turned away to wipe his eyes. "That doesn't matter," he uttered under his breath.

"What was that?"

"…Nothing." He hesitantly looked back to his brother. Simon was still holding his shoulders, but his grip had turned gentle and forceless. He could have brushed it off easily if he wanted to.

He started to notice what was going on. Simon had tears of his own and desperation in his eyes, but he was as composed as always. Was that for his sake?

"You're scared too, aren't you?" Alvin observed.

Simon forced a smile. "I'm terrified."

Alvin's head dropped. His shoulders twitched with his breathing; he couldn't hold back anymore and started crying, face barely obscured by his cap.

Simon couldn't bring himself to watch, but he stayed there, hoping that somehow his presence helped. This was certainly Alvin at his weakest. The only other time he came close was back outside of the prison, and Simon was quick to connect the dots – even at a time like that, it was all he could do to stay concerned.

He kept his hands firmly on Alvin's shoulders. There was something Alvin said earlier that made him think; something that he probably wasn't meant to take notice of. He didn't want to make matters worse, but he had to ask, so he spoke softly. "Alvin…who are you angry at?"

"I…" Alvin looked up in a moment of carelessness. "It doesn't matter," he resigned again.

_That's what I thought…_Simon put the pieces together. It wasn't a happy realization, but they rarely were. He put his arms around Alvin's back and pulled him into a hug.

Alvin blinked but he didn't resist. If anything, he welcomed the comfort. "Simon?"

Simon opened his mouth to tell Alvin what he figured out, but he stopped as soon as he remembered, this is exactly what Alvin told him he didn't want him to do. He'd respect his brother's wishes, although it wouldn't stop him from thinking it. He'd figured out what made this so hard on him. _Alvin, that's not fear…what you're feeling is guilt. You're blaming yourself for everything, and not just for this. You can't do that to yourself…it's tearing you up inside. _"Don't…" Simon breathed. "Just, don't…" _Is your ego really so big that you'll give yourself all the blame? _Simon hugged tighter, then felt Alvin do the same.

For a moment, they both stood in each other's arms and simply cried together. They were both hurting and afraid, but they also had one little comfort to come back to.

There was something strange in that embrace. Although it was impossible, Simon felt like he could feel Alvin in his arms more than just physically; like he could feel the ache in his heart like it was his own. Alvin seemed to think that he was ruining Simon's life, but that wasn't it at all. Alvin was so significant in his life that nothing could destroy it as long as he was there. It was in that that Simon realised: maybe there was something more between them than he thought, or perhaps he simply wanted there to be.

In those thoughts, he forgot about the trial and the problems that were waiting for them, he just lingered in the moment. He just wanted what they had, whatever it was that let them be there for each other when no one else could be. The pain could wait – this is what matters.

Finally, Alvin's breathing started to even out. "I'm glad it was you that followed me."

Simon smiled, but his heart sank when Alvin finished the thought.

"You're a good brother."

_Right…brother. _

* * *

><p>The two stayed in the bathroom for a while longer than they needed, spending most of the time hidden away in one of the stalls. They may have gotten to air out their worries, but they still had a lot of built-up stress to get out. At the very least, they needed the time to recollect themselves physically; neither of them was too eager to rejoin the public so obviously after crying.<p>

Eventually, the trial was halted for a brief recess. Alvin and Simon took the chance to reconvene with their brother and the Chipettes in the halls to find out what they missed.

Not a lot, as it turned out. JB's side brought out a similar lineup to last time and seemed to angle as much of their case as possible on Alvin's past acting up, but none of the four placed any blame on him themselves.

Alvin was still sick to his stomach over the whole mess. Simon noticed that the second he stepped out of that bathroom, his discomfort returned full-force. It must have been torture for him, having to put up with that for so long.

"Are you ok, Alvin?" Brittany asked the shuddering boy in sincerity.

Alvin shook at her and held his belly, but tried to downplay it. "I'll be fine…" he groaned unconvincingly.

Brittany raised her voice to be heard over the passers-by. "If you need to go home or something, Miss Miller's waiting in the car. We didn't want her to come in incase she got involved, but…well, she's there if you need her."

Alvin nodded and gave a dismissive thanks, but it was then that Simon noticed a figure moving away from their group with haste. _Harry!_ His eyes flicked open. He was certainly running back to JB with something, and that couldn't be good. No one else seemed to notice, but Simon didn't bother to inform them; there was nothing they could do at that point anyway.

Brittany looked up at a clock on the wall. "Looks like we need to get back…" she noted and gave Alvin a concerned look. He was adamant in carrying on, so the group slowly made their way back to the court room.

* * *

><p>While the trial went on, another debate raged within the middle chipmunk. As the inevitable drew closer, it became impossible to ignore: he was having some pretty strong feelings about Alvin lately, and they felt like more than just brotherly. It was something that he hadn't anticipated; this whole 'relationship' thing was just there as a coping strategy; heck, he was hesitant to consider it a relationship at all. It definitely followed relationship rules, but that was just how the situation worked out.<p>

It would last until this whole mess was sorted out and not a moment longer – that was the plan. It was an extreme counterbalance to an extreme situation. _Then why can't I just let this go?_

He couldn't get the thoughts out of his head. Alvin was his brother; his twin – or triplet, even, if you wanted to get technical. He was off limits as far as actual romance goes. This whole thing over the last few weeks was just temporary…something to get them both through it, that's all. A special circumstance and nothing more. When did it start to become something real? _When did I start to fall for him?_

Simon rubbed at his brow and did his best to not peek over at the brother to his side. It didn't even matter anymore; one way or another, this problem would resolve itself. It was just hard to let go of what the two of them had built up over the last month now that he felt like there was more to it. The thing that really bothered him was that some part of him wanted Dave to lose – just to legitimize the two of them staying together – and that was despicable.

"So you believe Mr Seville is innocent?" Their attorney asked Mr Parrish; most of whose testimony Simon had spaced out for.

Mr Parrish folded his arms and nodded his head. "Absolutely." He'd spent most of the time talking about his family life and years of experience handling criminals. It was nothing that Dave was unfamiliar with anymore, but the little bits that the chipmunks picked up were enlightening.

Their lawyer thanked Mr Parrish and stepped down, leaving the Prosecutor to his rebuttal.

The slimy man twiddled his fingertips. "You've been the governor for several years now, correct?"

"That's right."

"So you're well familiar with all the rules and regulations you're required to follow?"

A subtle shift in his eyes showed Mr Parrish caught on to the line of questioning. "Yes, I am."

The prosecutor grinned and paused in front of the stand. "So tell us; how is it that these boys were allowed to meet with the defendant week after week without a guardian?"

Simon groaned dropped his head into his hands; it was another trap. "I let them in using my own judgement," Mr Parrish responded, hoping to avoid playing into the man's hands. "If you want to hold me accountable, you're more than welcome to press charges."

"There'll be no need," the Prosecutor turned confidently to the judge even though he kept his attention on Mr Parrish. "As I'm sure you're aware, there's no documented rule forbidding animals in prison."

Mr Parrish passed the boys an apologetic look. He genuinely tried to avoid that conclusion; he even tried to throw himself to the wolves, but they were ready for him.

The Prosecutor joined his hands behind his back and wandered back to his seat, dismissing the governor from his duty.

* * *

><p>Dave's lawyer stood and called out their next witness. "We'd like to bring out Principal Victoria Milliken," he announced.<p>

Right on cue, Miss Milliken took the stand, dressed as formally as expected – complete with pearl earrings and a smooth white coat.

"So, Miss Milliken, what's your relationship with Mr Seville and his boys?"

"Well," she held out her hand over her wrist like she was passing out the response. "I'm the Principal at Thomas Edison Elementary so I've spoken with Dave and his children from time to time. Mostly about Alvin." She chuckled; a welcome change from the accusatory glances everyone else seemed to have.

The lawyer nodded. "And what brings you to the court today?"

"Brittany and Jeanette – those two girls over there," she pointed them out, "came to me to ask about testifying on their friends' behalf. So that's what I'm here for."

"So you came just because they asked you to?"

"Oh, of course not! I think it goes without saying that Mr Seville is a father first and that those chipmunks are children to him, but if I have to sit up here and explain it, that's just what I'll have to do."

The Prosecutor raised from his seat. "Objection!" He cried.

Before the judge could speak, Miss Milliken piped up herself. "Oh, please, I spent years in business school and graduated with honours. I don't think you can pull any legal maneuvers to stop a professional from giving their professional opinion."

He raised a finger to carry on, but conceded the point. "Objection withdrawn."

Miss Milliken gave a smug smile and spun back to the lawyer.

It was actually quite a surprise that she could handle herself in a court setting so well. Evidently she'd crossed paths with enough knowledgeable people to pick up on some valuable tips and tricks. More than once she was able to put the Prosecutor in his place when he tried to interfere.

Even when the Prosecutor took over, she managed to avoid the traps.

"You removed them from the school for being a safety hazard, correct?" The Prosecutor directed.

"Actually, I kept them around as long as I could and no one heard a peep from any of them." She leant over the counter and brushed the air.

"You kept them around?"

"I wanted to keep an eye on them. You took their father away and forced them on to the streets…that's no place for children."

JB's lawyer moved back to his corner and retrieved a thick document, then flicked through it to some unknown page. It sort of gave the impression of someone losing their place in a play. "Let's see…" he quietly read to himself before turning back. "You were aware of their legal status following the last trial?"

"I probably had a note on my desk somewhere," she feigned indifference.

"And yet you waited until the school board forced you to remove them. You even claim you let them back in to speak with you after the fact. You recklessly endangered countless children for…how long was it? Two weeks? Three?"

Miss Milliken leant back and crossed her arms. "They're just children, for heaven's sake."

"No, Miss Milliken," the Prosecutor tapped at a page. "Even according to your school board, they're animals."

"The school board can go suck a lemon!" She dismissed with a casual wave. "I've been a principal for years; I think I've had enough experience to tell the difference between a wild animal and a child. Those three certainly stir up a lot of trouble, but boys will be boys."

The Prosecutor was growing frustrated. "How can any of us trust your judgement when you so clearly give preferential treatment to these students?"

Miss Milliken pressed a hand to her chest. "I would do the same for any one of my students if this happened to them."

With that, the Prosecutor backed down. The best he'd done was instill some doubt in the principal's testimony, but there was only so much weight one witness could give to their side.

* * *

><p>The next – and final member of the Defence's lineup – took her seat in the witness' stand. Her name was read to the court as 'Miss Linda Stone' before Dave's lawyer begun the questions.<p>

"Tell us about Dave," he started simply.

Miss Stone put a finger to her lips and seemed to choose her words carefully. "Dave is a wonderful man. He's kind and thoughtful, and I've never known him be the selfish type."

"So, in other words, he's not the type to make someone do something against their will?"

"He would never do a thing like that. I don't think he has it in him to be mean-spirited." She started to go off on a slight tangent. "I teach his boys in third grade, and I've never seen a more responsible parent."

The lawyer nodded confidently and took a look over the court to gauge the crowd reaction – they seemed to be taking note of the testimony, which was certainly a good sign. "Thank you, Miss Stone." He passed off the questioning to his opponent.

The Prosecutor walked forward and paused for a moment infront of the stand. "So Mr Seville would never be exploitative?"

"Of course not," Miss Stone defended.

"Then why do his 'boys' perform at all? Surely a series of live concerts on top of school work is a stressful situation; how is this considered 'responsible parenting?'"

"T-the boys love it!" She was momentarily caught off guard, but she recomposed herself seamlessly. "They love to perform; they come into class with stories about it. It's something that they enjoy."

"Mhmm," the man hummed. "Are you sure they enjoy the performance, or are they just conditioned that way? And if it's just for fun, why charge for it? That doesn't seem like something that comes from kindness."

Miss Stone seemed to freeze, not knowing how to respond.

JB's lawyer took advantage of the vulnerability and pressed on. "I'm told you're keeping two of the chipmunks in your home. That's a violation of your tenant's agreement, isn't it?"

Simon's eyes widened. _Oh no…_he thought. That wouldn't hold up against Dave, but just mentioning that dashed any chance he and Alvin had of staying with their teacher if this ended against them.

"Objection!" Their lawyer interrupted. "That has no relevance to this case." The Prosecutor held up his hands in resignation.

He didn't hold off for long. "You and Mr Seville were in a relationship, am I correct?"

"That's right."

The Prosecutor inched inwards and gave a horrible grin. "Then how can you speak objectively about him?"He waited a few seconds for a predicted non-answer, then backed down.

Dave's lawyer rose to his feet quickly to salvage the testimony. He took his opponent's spot in the centre of the court and redirected the question. "You broke up with Mr Seville, though, didn't you." She nodded in confirmation. "Can you tell us why?"

"We both agreed that it would be too complicated for his boys if we were together. He didn't want to make things difficult for them."

Their lawyer bowed his head. "Thank you," he concluded.

* * *

><p>At that point, Simon thought it was over. That was everyone that was meant to testify, and they'd all spoken to each side. He rubbed his head, trying to figure out where they stood.<p>

It didn't look good. They had a few solid character witnesses, but JB had managed to put their status into question with every one of his own. It even had Simon wondering about their situation himself; he knew Dave loved them, and he'd never in a million years think there was any kind of 'animal abuse' going on, but the case put forward was strong and raised a lot of points against the family.

At least they seemed to have shown that Dave isn't a bad person. It's just that that probably wouldn't be enough.

The Prosecutor rose from his seat. "Your honour, the prosecution would like to bring out a surprise witness," he turned and faced the boys for the reveal. "We'd like to summon Miss Beatrice Miller."

Alvin groaned and clutched his stomach under the whispers in the court. Several rows back, Jeanette and Eleanor shot each other shocked expressions.

Simon turned and held a hand on Alvin's back, not really paying attention to where they were. "Alvin, are you ok?" He barely spoke above a whisper. Even Theodore had turned to keep an eye on him.

Alvin nodded his head and let out a muffled squeak instead of saying yes. He rocked low in his chair to rhythm of Simon's comforting pat, but couldn't say a word.

It was hard for Simon to blame him. It was fairly obvious that Harry had passed on Miss Miller's name to JB; enough that Alvin would have to realize it himself, even if he didn't see Harry when Simon did. This could very well be the last nail in their coffin, and in Alvin's mind, he could assume full responsibility for it.

"Oh dear, is this where I sit?" Miss Miller droned as she was led to the booth. It looked like she barely knew where she was, but it wasn't anything special.

The Prosecutor thumbed his coat in complete confidence. "Miss Miller, could you explain you relationship with the defendant."

"With who?"

"…with Mr Seville."

"Oh, right!" Miss Miller gave a cheerfully ignorant smile. "Why, I used to babysit those boys of his. Still do, as a matter of fact."

"What is it you do now that would make that any different?"

"Well I have my own children to worry about, you know."

The Prosecutor grinned. "Do you now?"

"Well yes! Those are my girls, right over there," she flicked out an arm to gesture to the Chipettes.

Simon froze. _No, no, no! Please don't drag them into this!_ It was obvious what he was trying to do. JB knew he'd pretty much won this case, but there was enough of a connection that he could line up the Chipettes to be next.

"I understand they're in a similar situation to these chipmunks. Tell us about them." Clearly a sign that he was going for the connection. Simon could barely stomach it.

"Oh of course! My girls got into the business with help from those boys, if I recall. Show business is a big part of their lives now. I used to be quite the star myself you know!" She fiddled with her hair.

"How big a part of their lives? Bigger than Mr Seville's chipmunks?"

"I don't know about that, but I make sure they get their proper schooling done before I let them out on their concerts. They do need discipline, you know."

_Please, Miss Miller…stop! _Simon buried his head in his hands.

"Discipline, you say." The man smiled. He didn't even need to push the parallel - it was abundantly clear already – and she was feeding him exactly what he needed. "That's very forward of you. You don't think that oversteps your boundaries?"

"What?" Miss Miller looked baffled. "Of course not!"

"You don't believe that it's abusive for a manager to-"

"Why, I'm not their manager!" Miss Miller interrupted.

The Prosecutor hid an overzealous laugh. "Then who is?"

Miss Miller raised a finger to scold the man. "Brittany's been their manager for years, and shame on you for your tone!"

_What? _Simon lifted himself back up and blinked disbelievingly. That couldn't have been what he just thought it was…and yet, the Prosecutor seemed thrown. He didn't even have a comeback.

The court was riddled with hushed chatter. That little revelation made all the difference; the Chipettes weren't chipmunks who performed for a human manager, they performed for themselves, and Miss Miller just took care of them. The parallel was already drawn…and that just disproved JB's whole argument.

"She takes care of their careers; I'm just there to do my motherly duties, as they say."

A wicked grin spread on Alvin's face. "…Gotcha."

Simon turned to him, still in shock. "Alvin?" He made a sudden recovery. He wasn't hunched or panic anymore; he was just smiling.

Alvin turned that smile to his brother. "And you called me a bad liar!"

Several rows back, the younger Chipettes caught the same grin on Brittany's face. She looked to them both and put it simply: "NOW we're even."

Miss Miller droned on at the flabbergasted lawyer, singing praise about the Chipettes; she pointed out how she took them in after child protection services got involved at the school, and how she could always trust them to be independent. It was a slew of evidence in their favour, but Simon couldn't get his head around how it happened at all. Alvin was a mess only seconds ago.

Did this mean he knew this would happen? Did he conspire with Brittany to put this whole trap together? It would have been safe to assume that Harry would react as he did if he thought what he heard was genuine, so perhaps it wasn't a particularly elaborate plan, but the act was outlandishly thorough. It was almost perfect; it was even JB's side that raised the question, so there'd be no doubt that the testimony was genuine, and obviously JB didn't have the time to do proper research beforehand because she was their 'surprise witness'.

It raised one question that deeply worried Simon, though: how much of this was just an act? As Alvin looked up at him with a victorious grin, he couldn't even see that quivering boy he'd been comforting not so long ago in the bathroom stalls.

Theodore peered over his brother to Simon, noticing that the mood had quickly changed and everyone was whispering about…something. "Simon, what's going on?" He asked.

Simon caught his breath and swallowed down his own bewilderment as best he could. "I-I think…I think we just won."

* * *

><p>Simon was right.<p>

Alvin's little deception had completely turned the tide of that trial. Simon could barely string a thought together when the judge declared Dave a free man. Who could have predicted that one of Alvin's over-thought schemes would actually work? No, more importantly, who could have predicted that Alvin and Brittany would ever team up for a scheme? It was crazy to ponder how everything came together. They put so much work into everything as a group, but it was their hidden plan that pulled it all together.

He figured they must have planned it for a while, maybe even way back when they were first putting their other plans together. There was only so much time that Alvin and Brittany were even on speaking terms…that had to be it. Still, the best he could do was hazard guesses as to the details.

More than anything, Simon wanted to confront Alvin about the depth of the whole scheme. But he realized that it wasn't important; it didn't matter how much was an act when the end result is the same. Dave got set free because of that trap, and Alvin's made a full recovery now that his guilt is gone. Anything else would just be overcomplicating things.

It was later that day that the boys were allowed to go home with Dave. By then it was night and fatigue had set in from the enormous affair. Their house was still stripped of all but the barest of essentials and all four of them had to make do with sleeping bags, but it was worth it just to be home as a family again.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Alvin, Simon and Theodore spent at least their first waking hours ushering their old stuff back into their room. It was an incredible chore – especially the bed frames, which would have been impossible without Dave's help. Some clothes and furniture followed, but a lot of their belongings were still being processed from storage.<p>

Even as empty as it was, their room was still a little safe-haven for the boys. The matters of the last month seemed distant and out of the way now that they were back in that little space they shared.

Alvin lit up as he plucked his skateboard from a mover's box. "My skateboard!" He cheered and pulled it into a hug. "I missed you!"

Simon rolled his eyes. "I'm sure the 'painted wood on wheels' missed you too."

"You're just jealous because there's none of your stuff in here," Alvin retorted. Simon was sitting on the base of his bed and wasn't actually looking, but it was kind of true.

Theodore shuffled through the box himself. "None of my stuff is in here either," he complained. "It's all Alvin's."

Alvin smirked. "Of course it is! They have to prioritize these-" a thought suddenly hit him. "Hey, how do they know what stuff is ours anyway?"

Simon half-raised a hand in answer. "They probably have it on file somewhere. And I guess Dave gives them a list of anything they forget."

"Hmm…" Alvin assembled a plan. "So that would explain where our big-screen TV went missing!"

"We didn't have a big-screen TV," Theodore pointed out.

"I know that, but they don't! Think about it: One little list and we can have indoor Jacuzzis, cotton candy machines…top of the line stereos!" Alvin's eyes shone with the possibilities. "Come on, we have a list to write!" He took off and urged his brothers from the room.

Theodore jumped to his feet to follow his red-blur of a brother, then stopped at the doorway to glance back at Simon.

Simon hadn't so much as tried to get off the bed. He gave a kind smile and excused his little sibling, "You go ahead, I'll catch up in a minute."

Theodore obeyed and charged around the corner, leaving Simon to himself for a moment.

Simon's smile slowly faded away. Theodore was happy again, and Alvin was completely fine. Any problems they had were behind them now.

He took off his glasses and let out a long over-due sigh.

Everything was back to normal...


	11. Epilogue

Almost a week had passed since the Seville boys returned home. All things considered, they settled back in well. Barely a day in and Alvin was back to his schemes, and they all took back to their family schedule with bravado.

The first movie night was certainly something special. They gathered around and popped in an old favourite – or several, even though they didn't make it that far. They gathered on the couch and Alvin settled at its base with Dave's much-missed hot chocolate and Theodore's triple-fudge cake prepared for the occasional. The Winter air was settling in along with them, but the hot drinks and close company kept them cozy all through the night.

The three fell asleep before the end of the first movie. Simon and Theodore had unintentionally used their father-figure as a pillow while Alvin drifted off in a ball on the carpet. The next morning, they all woke up comfortably in their beds – a welcome reminder that Dave was there looking after them.

It wasn't all the idyllic reunion they wanted though; not for Simon at least. He loved being back as much as his brothers and he committed to the family gatherings just as whole-heartedly, but that last month stuck with him.

That same first movie night, he found himself watching Alvin as much as the movie itself. Not once did Alvin look back at him, of course, but that was probably for the best. It was far from an isolated occurrence; he was doing things like that a lot more than he wanted to.

When he was with his brothers and with Dave, Simon was happy. It was just that sometimes when he looked at Alvin, it reminded him of what they had not so long ago.

On their third night, Simon stirred awake for no reason he could figure – it was probably just the ticking of his brain keeping him awake. He ended up turning towards his elder and watched him for a while, contemplating what was between them.

He knew he was just torturing himself. He almost wanted to get up and sleep with Dave to get away from it, but then he'd have to make up some excuse like 'having nightmares' which would have been more embarrassing than it was worth.

As days passed, he kept building up the urge to just talk to Alvin about it. After all, they'd been through this once before, so surely he'd understand. Then he'd remind himself that there were very good reasons for why they agreed to end things once their situation was over with; the first time was out of necessity, and it was painfully obvious that Alvin didn't need him anymore.

Not that it mattered. Every time Simon would start to give in to his more irrational side, Alvin would up and disappear. He'd shoot out of the room spouting 'not now, Simon!' and some over-eager excuse. That was all it'd take to remind Simon that this was just a situation he had no business getting himself into.

Maybe if Alvin needed him, but that wasn't the case now that he cured his own guilt. Simon was happy for his brother – he really was – but some part of him ached knowing that after everything they went through, things just had to go back to normal.

* * *

><p>By the end of the first week, Simon did his best to try accepting that he and Alvin would never be together like they were. They were brothers and they were always close; that could be enough. Raising the issue now would only complicate matters, especially if it turned out Simon was the only one dwelling on the feelings.<p>

He wondered if this was the same thing Alvin went through when he was on the other side. It was easier to understand how he was acting if that was the case.

Despite all the effort, Simon was distancing himself when they weren't gathered as a family. He was a little surprised that no one seemed to notice his mood, but he was even more surprised that that surprised him at all. That was perhaps the thing he missed most; when he and Alvin were together, they were close enough that they'd pick up on all the little things that were usually easy to overlook. Now, they still cared, but the added distance took that intimacy away.

That made him all the more desperate to just put himself on the line and hope for best, but things were never that simple. Even if he wanted to, they didn't have the privacy to really talk things through. He just had to keep reminding himself that it would be best for all of them if he just tried to forget about it. So that's what he'd have to do.

* * *

><p>It got easier as time went on. The relentless sense of longing – as Simon figured it was – never fully went away, but save for a few hours left alone while Dave went out for a 'guy's night' with Mr Parrish, he found it easy to stay out of Alvin's way. When they were together, Simon's heart would race for no reason he could determine, which served as a stubborn reminder of what he was supposed to be forgetting. So that was obviously something to avoid.<p>

Thankfully, Alvin seemed preoccupied most of the time himself. He'd run around the house and slam doors shut for his own privacy, which worked just fine for keeping the two effortlessly parted through the day. Night was trickier, since it was as close to being alone together as they got, but Simon had yet to let his impulses get the better of him.

For a while, Simon thought it was working. He and Theodore were spending the afternoon in their room while Alvin was nowhere to be seen.

Then, of course, he came barging through the door.

"I've been looking all over for you guys!" He declared with enthusiasm. "Where have you been?"

Simon just rolled his eyes. "We've been here. Just like we have been for the past hour." Theodore nodded in agreement.

"Oh, right," Alvin laughed.

Theodore raised a brow, just noticing the guitar Alvin was almost dragging along the floor behind him. "Why do you have a guitar?"

Alvin lifted it to his side. "This thing?" He emphasized. "I wrote a new song, and I wanted my brothers to be the first ones to hear it."

"YOU wrote a song?" Theodore asked.

"Hey, I can write songs too, you know!" Theodore got a light chuckle but Simon wasn't so amused.

Alvin pulled out the desk chair and climbed atop it with his guitar, then instructed his brothers to take a seat on the nearest bed – which happened to be Simon's.

Simon was dreading the next few minutes. He slouched and half-hid his face in his hand, hoping Alvin would be more focussed on Theodore or would just get too into his singing to care. Focusing on Alvin wasn't something he could do if he wanted to keep his feelings down.

As Alvin started a steady rhythm of strumming, Theodore leant forward in anticipation and Simon just about cringed with effort at tuning as much of it out as possible.

"When the night has come, and the land is dark," Alvin started to sing.

_Here it comes…_Simon tensed, worried about what feelings were about to come up.

"And the moon is the only light we see…"

That sounded oddly familiar.

"No, I won't be afraid," Simon blinked and lifted his head. "Oh, I won't be afraid,

"Just as long as you stand…" Alvin looked up from his guitar and locked his eyes to his brother's. "Stand by me."

Simon could hardly breath. Alvin was…singing to him? There was no doubt in his mind that that was meant for him. But why would…

Alvin continued with splendor. "So darling, darling, stand by me.

"Ohhh, stand by me. Oh, stand…" again he looked across into Simon's eyes. "Stand by me. Stand by me…" he echoed.

Simon fought back the urge to tear up, but he couldn't hide the smile that took over his forced indifference. This was how Alvin told him that he still needed him? Through a serenade? It should have been obvious that it'd be something dramatic.

As Alvin sung on, Simon listened with every line further proving to him that this was Alvin's response to their situation. He must have been feeling the same way Simon was, even this time around. A song was such an elegant solution to their evidently mutual problem; Simon was endlessly grateful that his brother thought of it.

Alvin set aside the guitar and pulled out his golden harmonica. He brought it to his lips, then Simon threw up a hand.

"You can stop, Alvin. I get it- uh…I mean, we get it." He smiled alongside Theodore.

Alvin put the harmonica in his lap and turned hopeful. "So, what did you think?"

Barely containing his grin, Simon nodded. "It sounds wonderful."

Alvin's face lit up. "Really? You're not just saying that?"

Theodore piped up, unaware of the hidden messages. "Yeah, it sounded great!"

Again, Simon nodded. "It really did." He waited for a moment to make sure the message got across. It was hard to tell, but it almost seemed like Alvin was blushing. "You should go sing it to Dave, I'm sure he'd love to hear it," Simon encouraged.

"R-right! Good idea, Simon!" Alvin dropped from the seat. "Hey, Theo, give me a hand with this stuff," he gestured the youngest off the bed and dumped the guitar in his hands. The two marched out of the room, but Alvin spared a moment to peek back inside through the half-closed door. "Hey, Simon," he whispered, "you really mean it?"

Simon would have laughed at the persistence if it wasn't so heartwarming. "I wouldn't lie about something like that."

With that and a knowing grin, Alvin took off down the hall.

Simon sat on the edge of the bed in contemplation. He had no idea how things were going to work out with them together, but it didn't seem to matter as long as they got to try. He would still be bothered by not being a 'person' by his own terms, and he was deeply worried about the inevitable problems down the line, but most of all he was happy.

No matter what trouble was waiting for them, they'd get through it together.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Extended Author's Note:<strong>_

* * *

><p><em>There you have it; the end of 'It's Always Blind'. I sincerely hope you've enjoyed reading it, because I've enjoyed sharing it. It ended up a much more long-term undertaking than I expected, but I'm mostly happy with how it turned out. I do always get a little depressed after finishing a big project though, and I doubt this will be the exception. That might be part of the reason why that last chapter took so long for me to write.<em>

_I've been asked if this is 'the end', and it kind-of is. This is the end of THIS story, but I fully intend to do another that takes place afterwards. I'll try to be more regular with my updates on that one._

_Anyway, about this one: _

_I wanted to end on a musical note, but I didn't want to take a song from their latest albums. It was important that the song be very suitable, and that it be one the chipmunks would sing though, so I eventually took a relatively obscure cover that never made it to their albums: Stand By Me, by Ben E King. _

_Of course, the quality is fairly low and the song was never done in its entirety, so I sought out HuskyInDenial to come up with a remake for me, which he did spectacularly. You can find it at (link on my profile, grr) and I would highly recommend downloading it. (I personally find music to be an excellent supplement to things you enjoy, and it WAS made with the intention of getting featured here.)_

_In fact, every one of the songs used in this story are chipmunk-available somewhere, which I actually didn't realize at the time. Break My Stride was also done in an episode and never released, and Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head has been covered by my friend over at MunkRecords101 (but is unreleased, at the time of writing). _

_On another note:_

_I started writing this story because I loved the community from the sidelines. There's a lot of heart in the fanworks, and it shows. So, I wanted to contribute to the community while it seemed to be dwindling and encourage it to keep going if I could. _

_I don't know if I did that, and I've seen nothing to suggest I did, but I'm still glad that people seem to have enjoyed my writing. Still, I'd like to give some recommendations to fellow writers who follow a similar theme to this story, out of the hope that maybe I'm passing along readers to them (as unlikely as that may be)._

* * *

><p>'Truly Seeing for the First Time<em>' by Timothy.C is probably the closest comparison by memory. It's a sweet little story that stays mostly innocent for the genre, so it's a good read if you want something optimistic.<em>

s/6626191/1/Truly_seeing_for_the_first_time

* * *

><p>'Spring<em>' by Ginnydabomb1996 has a bizarre premise, but if you get into it, it turns out to be one of the best Alvon-themed stories around (in my humble opinion, of course), and includes some wonderful scenes and a great ending. It's also nearing the end of the second part, so now's a good time to give it a look if you haven't already.<em>

s/7553293/1/Spring

* * *

><p>'Dream Lover<em>' by SawyerSeville19 (currently <em>_AlvonFan4Life19) was the first fanfic I thoroughly enjoyed. It's particularly sexual and I initially figured it would just be smut, but I actually got invested in it. Also, the ending is one of the most touching things I've ever read. This is a story that's actually stuck with me._

/s/5449670/1/Dream_Lover

* * *

><p><em>That should just about do it. Thanks, everyone, for reading! And those of you who left reviews: Thanks a lot! I rarely respond because of a LOT of bad luck with that in the past, but I read every comment and I really appreciate people taking the time to send me some feedback or just show an interest.<em>

_In particular, I wanted to send a thanks to Miss Hal Gibson and Simon Seville for consistently giving me encouragement. And to Hibikins, who doesn't actually leave reviews, but proof-reads everything I write. _

_I'm rambling. I'll probably take a little break from writing until things ease up life-wise, but in the meantime you can watch me over at DeviantArt as LawlessSquirrel (URL on my profile if you need it) for art attempts or just to send me messages in a way where I can respond properly, since isn't so good for social stuff._

Thanks for reading!


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